Zipping around in heavily altered motorcycles fitted with high decibel horns generating ear-splitting noise may soon attract penal measures beyond the Motor Vehicles Act.
They may soon get the attention of the police as well and end up with far severe penalties, including imprisonment, under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
“A couple of years back the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed a verdict calling for strict enforcement of the rules and it emerged that it fell under the domain of a police officer not below the rank of DySP. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board has now decided to impart training to cops to enforce the rules and measure noise pollution. We are also familiarising them with the equipment needed for enforcement,” says M.A. Baiju, chief environment engineer, PCB.
The first of the three region-specific training for police personnel was held at the PCB regional office at Gandhi Nagar here on Monday. The sessions for uniformed men from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode regions will be held on the next two days. V. Deepesh, senior scientist, presented the rule and demonstrated noise level monitoring equipment.
The police submitted a list of 134 personnel and, hence, a decision was taken to conduct training sessions in different regions over three days adhering to the COVID protocol.
The police, Mr. Baiju says, will have to go for stricter enforcement of the rules other than charging for mere public nuisance as has been done now considering that the NGT has taken a very serious view of the matter.
Previously, noise pollution was subsumed in the Air Pollution Control Act till separate rules came into force in 2000. The rules are part of the larger Environment Protection Act and entail stringent punishments.
Noise created by altered vehicles, high decibel horns, functions at places of worship, public functions, and use of crackers at festivals are among the commonly observed violations.
