Residents of Ramdaspeth have petitioned the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court to prevent authorities from granting permission for a Garba event during Navratri 2024 in their area. The petitioners argue that the event, held over nine days, violates noise norms and request that the Mor Hindi Upper Primary School ground be declared a silent zone to prohibit the use of loudspeakers and music systems.
The residents are in dispute with the Ramdaspeth Plot Owners and Residents Association, which organizes the Garba event featuring high-decibel music systems. The petition cites a recent Supreme Court judgment, which did not issue any observations on a similar case from the previous year, allowing for the possibility of contesting the earlier order.
Filed by Pawan Sarda, Dr. Shubhangi Deshmane, Sanyogita Dhanwatay, Rahul Dalmiya, Anurag Saraf, Varun Bajaj, and Nimish Sutaria, the petition names the Secretary of Home, Secretary of Cultural Affairs, Secretary of Urban Development, Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Municipal Commissioner, the Ramdaspeth Plot Owners and Residents Association, and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board as respondents.
The petitioners argue that the noise levels from the Garba event exceed permissible limits for residential areas, referencing an undertaking from 2023 that stated the event would be held at a single location for only one occasion. They seek a court order to prevent the authorization of the event at Mor School this year.