The Chandigarh administration on Wednesday informed the high court that noise limits were breached at singer Diljit Dosanjh’s concert on December 14 for which action against the organisers has been recommended. The information was provided during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Sector 23, who had sought a ban on concerts at the venue unless adequate measures were in place to address noise concerns. The high court, in its December 13 order, had directed that the noise levels should not exceed 75 decibels and warned of penal action in case of a breach. As per the affidavit filed by the Chandigarh administration, the three teams constituted to monitor noise levels at the boundaries of Sector 34 found the recorded levels to be between 76.1 dBA and 93.1 dBA.
The action against the organisers has been recommended as per provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. Taking the report on record, the hearing was deferred to January by the bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Anil Kshetarpal, observing that since there is no urgency, the matter would now be taken up next month.
Widespread traffic chaos was reported in and around Sector 34, where the concert was held. It also came to light that a special lounge was set up exclusively for judges, and a similar one for officers. Though strict regulations were imposed on the general public, which had to endure massive traffic congestion and long wait times, VVIPs, including judges, were allowed direct access to the venue, bypassing barricades set up for other concert-goers.
Now another concert, scheduled on December 21 for singer AP Dhillon, has been shifted to the Sector 25 rally ground, information about which was also given before the high court on Wednesday.
The UT administration has set up a single-window system to speed up the process of granting permissions for concerts or shows in the city.
To expedite the processes under the system, the administration has constituted an eight-member Event Permission Committee (EPC) for granting permissions for holding or organising concerts, music shows or live shows in the territorial jurisdiction of Chandigarh.
As per the order, the committee’s chairman will frame the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to grant permissions for organising such events.
The committee shall ensure that permissions are issued in a time-bound manner and all applicable rules/guidelines/bylaws are strictly adhered to.
According to the order issued by UT home secretary Mandip Singh Brar, UT district magistrate will be the chairman of the committee, while the officer competent to grant NOC from the department of police, traffic and security, municipal corporation, estate, fire, or any other department, as deemed fit by the chairman, will be its member. The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of the area where the event is scheduled will be the committee’s member secretary.
