Noise pollution: Gujarat HC summons Ahmedabad municipal commissioner, home secretary

Ahmedabad: The high court on Monday questioned Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani, state home secretary Nipuna Torawane, and Gujarat Pollution Control Board chairman R B Barad on the non-implementation of its directions to curb noise pollution. The online hearing also covered the failure to ease city traffic.The bench of Justice Bhargav Karia and Justice L S Pirzada was hearing contempt petitions filed by advocate Amit Panchal. The petition alleged authorities' inaction on the HC directions issued in 2017-18 for the proper upkeep of city roads and the resolution of traffic and parking problems. The directions had also called for tackling encroachments and the cattle menace on streets. Another grievance of the lawyer related to authorities ignoring the Supreme Court's and later the HC's directions to implement a GPCB notification to curb noise pollution. The court pulled up the GPCB and the home secretary and said that "it is very painful" to note that Gujarat is still faced with the problem of noise pollution 20 years after the Supreme Court issued guidelines to curb it. The HC further said, "It seems that the authorities have taken the notification very lightly and noise pollution remains a menace in Gujarat." After questioning the inaction and seeking explanations from the authorities, the judges sought assurances from the officials and warned that they would be facing contempt of court in case of default. The HC sought detailed reports from them regarding actions taken. The AMC commissioner informed the HC about the creation of parking facilities, the removal of encroachments by moving vendors from the roads, and the imposition of fines on traffic violators. The court's order reads, "The commissioner assured the court that the comprehensive policy is being implemented and a detailed report will be filed." The HC posted a fresh hearing on June 18.
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