Hyderabad: Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand on Tuesday said that the use of DJ sound systems, sound mixers and amplifiers and other equipment and appliances generating loud sound, and the bursting of firecrackers, were being prohibited during religious processions.
He said loudspeakers, public address system or DJ systems should not be used from 10 pm to 6 am at other times. Violation of the order would result in legal action, he said.
The notification would come into force with immediate effect and apply to all religious processions. Zonal police chiefs were directed to serve the notification on the stake holders. Anand had convened a meeting of stakeholders recently about imposing restrictions on the use of DJ system and firecrackers in religious processions.
The ban was generally welcomed, but there were exceptions — some wanting the DJ systems to be allowed and others questioning the move.
Speaking from the health perspective, Dr N. Vishnu Swaroop Reddy, chief consultant, ENT, at the Care Hospital, told Deccan Chronicle: “The sound from DJ systems usually exceeds 120 deciBels, which is bad for the human ear and can lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).”
He said that the sign of hearing loss was observed after the patient experiences a ringing sound after getting out of the space of exposure to high volume, or they would not be able to hear anything. “During Vinayaka Chaturti, we had many patients experiencing the same,” he said.
The ban is has widely seen to affect DJs who operate the systems at religious events. Sai Prakash, aka DJ Chintu said, “We have always tried to make sure that we operate on low audio levels. It would have been better if there were restrictions for playing music near some places, for example, hospitals. Imposing a ban would end the industry entirely. We have another festival coming up, and maybe this would kill the fun.”
Another DJ, Abhijeet, spoke up for the vendors of sound systems. “Their bread and butter would be gone and their families would be severely affected. Their business is seasonal. They get the opportunity to earn only during festivals,” he said.
Commending the ban, civil rights advocate Leo Augustine said, “When the dictum ‘Your freedom ends where my nose begins’ by A.G. Gardner is forgotten, such regulation becomes mandated.” Calling the decision overdue, he noted that even the Supreme Court of India had taken an interest in the matter.
The ban got support from those who are subjected to unrestricted use of DJ systems. K. Deepali, a private company employee, said the use of loud music from such systems were affecting how festivals were celebrated. “Bathukamma is a joyful storytelling in the form of songs. But recently it has become about DJ mix songs while sprinkling colour confetti in the air. I understand the joy part of it but does anybody know how unhealthy it is for the girls dancing right beside the DJ?”
For V. Geeta, a lawyer, the ban would can create a peaceful atmosphere. “DJ music is very loud, which can create anxiety and discomfort for senior citizens. As a pet parent, I believe the DJ is responsible for blasting the loud sounds, I always worry about my pets as high decibel noise causes panic and stress in animals and it becomes a challenge to protect them.”
There were mixed responses from pandal organisers. Dr Ravinuthala Shashidhar, VHP spokesperson, told Deccan Chronicle, “My question to the government is why is that only Hindu festivals are targeted. Our demand is to ban the loudspeakers on other religious places which are active each day. The DJ system should be allowed when the event is stationary, as Hindus have jagran, where bhajans are performed.”
Jambagh corporators Rakesh Jaiswal, a pandal organiser, was in support of having DJ systems but with restrictions on sound levels and timing. However, Akshay Yadav of the Maa Vaishnavi Friends Association, said, he supported the ban, as some organisers were creating disturbance at odd hours. “We have also fights taking place because of this.”
