The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the Transport Department, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), City Police Commissioner and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to file affidavits on measures taken to ensure that noise level in the city is within the limits prescribed under the relevant laws, including under the Motor Vehicles Act.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice B.V. Nagarathna passed the order while suo motu initiating a public interest litigation petition based on a report, “ >Horn. Not OK Please ” published in The Hindu’s August 29 edition.
The Bench has appointed advocate B.V. Vidyulatha as amicus curiae to assist the court in the petition.
The report, quoting the official data, highlighted that 12 of 15 noise monitoring stations in the city record ambient noise levels that far exceed permissible limits. Besides, the report also pointed out that near “sensitive” zones like hospitals “the ambient noise levels recorded are far more than even what’s allowed in industrial areas” while identifying the traffic as the main contributor to the higher noise level.
