The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a PIL seeking a direction to limit the use of public address systems/ loudspeakers and other noise polluting devices and amplifiers at the Maha Kumbh.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra passed this order while hearing a PIL filed by Brahmachari Dayanand Indian Inhabitant and another.
The petition purportedly in public interest has been filed by the petitioners, who though are residents of Uttarakhand, presently during Maha Kumbh are claiming to be camping at Sector 18, Mukti Marg, Prayagraj.
Submissions have been made that other camps, which have been set up around the camp of the petitioners, are using public address systems and LCDs wherein, they are creating noise pollution and affecting the meditation etc. of the petitioners and therefore, they be directed to limit the use of public address systems/loudspeakers and other noise polluting devices and amplifiers.
“A perusal of the record indicates that except producing a few pictures of the loudspeakers, which apparently have been placed for announcements etc and are also situated at the temporary roads created for the Kumbh Mela, the petitioners have not produced any material worth the name so as to indicate the nature of noise being created by the said public address systems and that the same are beyond the permissible limit in terms of relevant Act and the Rules.
The filing of the petition is based on an academic exercise undertaken based on the judgments of the Supreme Court and producing a few pictures of loudspeakers. Such a laconic petition cannot be countenanced,” the Court observed while dismissing the petition.