Mahottari, Dhanusha DAOs ban loud music

BY OUR CORRESOPONDENT,Jaleshwor / Janakpurdham, Mar. 5: District Administration Offices (DAOs) of Mahottari and Dhanusha districts have restricted unnecessary noise pollution and use of loud music after 10 pm in the districts in an effort to keep sound pollution at bay.  

The offices issued the public notice stating that making loud noises such as concerts, DJ sessions, miking during any events like weddings, religious functions, social events and others after 10 pm which adversely affect the life and health of the common people was banned. An immediate action according to the prevailing law would be taken against those violating the notice and an arrangement to comply with the rule would be made at all local levels, the notice read.

Mahottari Chief District Officer Deepak Kumar Pahadi said that the locals had been informed about the new rule. Even all 15 local levels of the district had been urged to comply with the decision and take it seriously, he added. 

Meanwhile, the locals said that even though the Chief District Office had made such decisions many times in the past, they were only limited to papers. Shiva Chandra Chaudhary, general secretary of Jaleshwor Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the decision was welcoming but doubted that it would be followed by the people. 

Former Chief District Officer Pradeep Kandel had declared the district DJ-prohibited zone after a meeting with political parties of the district, Jaleshwor Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Civil societies. 

Based on the same decision, Ram Prasad Shrestha, Police Superintendent of former District Police Office, Mahottari, conducted a DJ control campaign after receiving complaints from the locals. They even had seized 28 DJ instruments and two amplifiers. But later, due to the stand of local industrialists, the seized instruments were returned to the owners on conditions of not using them again.

Sound exceeding 75 decimals during day and 70 decimals at night in industrial areas, that exceeding 65 decimals during day and 50 decimals at night in business areas, one exceeding 55 decimals during day and 45 decimals at night in residential areas and exceeding 50 decimals during day and 40 decimals at night in school/campus areas is considered as noise pollution.