The Allahabad High Court has initiated suo motu proceedings on noise pollution following reports of the death of a 7-year-old Class 2 student at a school in Balrampur while a procession carrying loudspeakers and a music system was passing nearby.
The deceased was identified as Vaishnavi Tiwari. The court, however, clarified that it had not established any connection between the alleged loud noise and the child’s death. The court made the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Lucknow civic authorities and officials from key government departments parties in the matter. The Balrampur District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police and Chief Medical Officer were also directed to be impleaded. The State was asked to obtain reports on the incident and submit details of measures taken or proposed to enforce noise-control laws.
The incident occurred on September 22 at Divine Public School on City Palace Road in Bhagautiganj, Balrampur. The procession was part of the 10-day Ganpati Utsav, which started on September 14, according to reports. Observing that the incident raises larger questions over the unchecked menace of noise pollution, a Division Bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla on Wednesday (September 28) ordered the registration of a separate suo motu PIL while hearing an existing case concerning the use of pressure horns, modified silencers and hooters.
