Modified silencers keep Pune residents up all night

Pune: "It felt like a bomb had gone off right behind me," recalled 62-year-old Sunanda Kulkarni, a resident of Kharadi, describing the moment a motorcycle with a modified silencer sped past her during a recent evening walk. "My heart began racing. For a few seconds, I couldn't even hear properly," she added.Similar complaints are echoing across the city, from Hinjewadi's IT corridors to residential lanes of core areas. Parents said toddlers wake up crying in the middle of the night. Elderly residents reported palpitations and sudden spikes in anxiety; commuters described losing balance momentarily when a bike with a "bullet" exhaust roared unexpectedly past them at a traffic signal; pedestrians said they panicked on hearing the explosive exhaust bursts, often described as "gunshot-like" or "firecracker" sounds. The rampant use of modified silencers on bikes has prompted an escalation of police crackdowns on such offenders in recent times. In 2025, the Pune police caught 3,130 such offenders and collected fines of Rs11.25 lakh in total; the Pimpri Chinchwad police went several steps further and caught 14,512 offenders, who shelled out total fines worth Rs1.44 crore. But cases continued to emerge in 2026. Recent crackdowns by Pune police in Wagholi, Yerawada, Katraj, Sinhagad Road, Warje, etc. in Jan-Feb cornered 3,764 offenders, who coughed up Rs29.37 lakh. In the same time, Pimpri Chinchwad police nabbed 1,853 violators and collected Rs18.53 lakh. ‘It's a criminal mindset' Yet, the repeated police action seems to have had no effect just yet. Pune's additional commissioner of police (east) Manoj Patil told TOI that they have now decided to register cases under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections to send out a stern message. "We are also shocked by this mentality. It is no less than a criminal one. These modified silencers are generating sound more than 50 times the permissible limit. It is a big menace for people. We will not spare the offenders," he said. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, motorcycles are designed to operate within prescribed noise limits, generally around 80 decibels (dB) under standard testing conditions. But modified aftermarket silencers, especially on high-torque bikes, frequently produce noise between 90 and 100 dB, sometimes even higher when engines are revved aggressively, said auto experts. "The danger lies in the mathematics of sound itself. The dB scale is logarithmic, so every increase of 10 dB represents a tenfold increase in sound intensity. A motorcycle emitting 100 dB is not just slightly louder than one at 80 dB. It produces 100 times more sound energy," explained a senior Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) official. "The World Health Organization (WHO) considers environmental noise above 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night as potentially harmful in residential settings. Prolonged exposure to above 85 dB significantly increases risk of hearing damage. Such modification needs to be considered a crime," he added. Doctors ring alarm bells Doctors flagged the long-lasting impact for all age groups. A senior Army doctor told TOI, choosing anonymity, "One of the most direct consequences is Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Inside the human ear are delicate sensory hair cells that convert sound waves into electrical signals for the brain. When exposed repeatedly to high-intensity noise, these cells become overstimulated and eventually die. Unlike other cells in the body, they do not regenerate." Even short bursts of very loud noise can result in temporary hearing loss or tinnitus, a persistent ringing sensation, he added. "The authorities need to take it up on the highest priority." Moreover, scientific studies over the past two decades have firmly established a link between chronic environmental noise and cardiovascular disease. "When the body hears a sudden loud sound, like an explosive exhaust burst, it activates the ‘fight or flight' response. The sympathetic nervous system releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Heart rate rises and blood pressure spikes," said another army doctor. Residents in areas like Wakad and Kalyaninagar said bikes race past midnight in their areas. "You are just about to fall asleep, and suddenly there's a blast," a young IT professional living near a main road in Wakad told TOI. "Your heart jumps," he added. Why do they do it? Psychologists studying risk behaviour suggested that loud exhausts often serve as tools of identity projection. The amplified sound signals power and presence. "They want to show off to the public. They feel that they get attention by blasting sound," said Patil, who has interacted with violators to understand their psyche. "They feel proud and enjoy the fun. Social media has glamourised aggressive revving and explosive backfires. This is one of the main contributory factors," he added. Under the Motor Vehicles Act and environmental noise regulations in India, altering a vehicle's exhaust system to increase noise levels is illegal. But enforcement faces challenges. Modified parts are easily available online and in informal markets. "The cost of some silencers ranges from Rs5,000-75,000. It is available online and some buy it at local mechanics," said a traffic police officer. Experts argued that alongside policing, sustained public awareness campaigns are needed, highlighting health risks rather than framing the issue merely as nuisance control. Deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Pimpri Chinchwad, Vivek Patil said, "We recently conducted a special drive against modified silencers and our staff on the ground continues to keep watch. We hope to conduct another dedicated drive in coming months. Modified silencers are a craze among youngsters and from what we understand, it is largely for attention. We are also filing cases under the Motor Vehicles Act against those who get these installations done."