Pune : The Sunburn Festival has had an uphill struggle in the run-up to its Pune edition. Even as the event drew to a close on the midnight of Saturday, it continues to be the centre of controversies.
Residents of Kesnand village, a few kilometres away from Pune where the festival was held this year, are not willing to stop raising their voices against the organisers. Three different complaints were filed with Lonikand police station, including one by Bhatkya Vimukt Jati Shikshan Sanstha — a local orphanage — where 400 deaf and mute children study.
All the applications allege that due to the loud noise during the electronic dance music (EDM) festival, the residents were unable to sleep for three consecutive days starting from Thursday to Saturday. The complainants also claim that the police present at the venue did not possess sound meters to measure the decibel levels.
The first complaint was filed by the orphanage, which is located just 100 metres away from the venue. Shivlal Jadhav, director of the orphanage, lamented, “Because of the loud noises during the festival, our students could not concentrate on their studies. As the venue is in close proximity, the children could not even sleep at night. We have urged the Lonikand police to take appropriate action against the DJs.”
Jadhav continued, “There are 400 students and 20 staff members in the residential school, and all of them were troubled by the loud noise.”
Another complaint was filed by Alaka Bapu Sonavane, a housewife from Kesnand village. Sonavane says in her complaint, “Even infants were disturbed. I have high blood pressure and the loud noise was just making things worse for me. The organisers of the festival must be punished for violating all the noise pollution rules.”
The third complaint has been filed by Chandrakant Warghade, president of Mahiti Seva Samiti, a local NGO. “Warghade, in his complaint, alleged that despite the presence of police at the venue, there was no mechanism to measure the sound levels. Due to absence of sound meters, it would be difficult to take legal action against the organisers. The organisers violated several other norms, too. On Friday night, despite the 10 pm deadline, they closed the festival at 12.30 am. Action must be taken against them as per the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.”
When contacted, a senior police officer attached with the Pune rural police, on condition of anonymity, said, “If the noise was beyond the permissible limit, the organisers will be charged under relevant sections of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.”
Source : Pune Mirror
