Residents of several areas in East Boulevard dread the weekends as they have been forced to endure the high decibel music from open air-terrace parties and resto pubs in the vicinity. Most of these resto pubs and organisers of late-night parties play loud music cranking up the volume driving residents up the wall.
“Playing of loud music has always been a problem since a few years but it got worse after the reopening of COVID-19 restrictions. A resto pub in the neighbourhood had removed the partition to make way for an open terrace so the sound can expand everywhere. The level of sound has also increased a lot and the music can be heard from a few blocks away. Earlier, it used to be only during the weekends, but it is now almost every day,” said H. Geraldine, owner of Villa Helena Guest House.
She added, “Nothing much has changed despite lodging complaints with the police. Though the problem gets better after the police visit the spot, it again resumes after they leave. The last few weekends have been especially bad, and we are dreading the extended weekends and upcoming festive season.”
A resident said it is not just about the noise but also the atmosphere of revelry that spills over onto the roads in the neighbourhood. Most of the revellers hang out in the streets even after 1 a.m. shouting on top of their voices and not letting the whole neighbourhood sleep.
“Noise levels in most of these parties are beyond the permissible limit. The parties usually start at 10.30 p.m. and go beyond 12 a.m. A large crowd gathers at these parties and all the roads are also choked up with vehicles. Though these resto pubs are free to throw a party, they cannot disregard the fact that other occupants in the area may be disturbed,” said S. Sivamani, a resident.
A hotelier said this was not a one-off case. Several guests who had booked rooms during the weekends complained their evenings were ruined due to the noise pollution and they had to find a replacement accommodation. The rampant commercialisation of residential areas has led to a number of rooftop pubs opening up in the Boulevard. The authorities have to ensure that commercialisation in residential areas is curtailed.
A police officer said several pubs and restaurants had obtained special permission for conducting late night parties. But playing loud music in open spaces is a cause for concern. Maintaining Law and Order was the prime focus of the police and anyone playing music beyond the prescribed decibels can be booked if the neighbours file a complaint, he said.
