Bengaluru: After nearly two years of running from one civic office to another, there is some relief for residents of Indiranagar who complained that the noise from an open-air bar on 100 Feet Road was invading the peace and privacy of their homes.
On November 21, the Karnataka High Court directed the BBMP to ascertain the level of noise pollution and infringement of bar trade licence, and to take action against the bar if violations are found.
While the order does not explicitly order strict action, the petitioner Raj Kumar Pillai believes it provides clarity of action. “It shows there is greater onus on the BBMP, as it becomes solely responsible for the mess. Though we have been petitioning the civic body for over two years, we had instead been directed to the police and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board,” says Mr. Pillai.
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In November 2015, after a KSPCB inspection showed that noise pollution from the bar touched 81.9 decibels - far beyond the permissible limit of 45db - officials had written to the BBMP directing action against the bar. Earlier this year, the police had written to the BBMP about noise following repeated complaints. There has been no action so far on these letters.
Both BBMP and KSPCB said they were awaiting the order and opinion from the legal cell before taking action.
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With open air bars and pubs proliferating in Bengaluru, which is riding high on its moniker of ‘pub city’, residents have been engaged in a battle against rapid commercialisation of various localities. The battle has seen Public Interest Litigation for zonal violations or petitions against excise permissions or complaints of noise and disturbance due to nightlife.
For instance, as early as 2004, Edward Road Association (off Cunningham Road) had filed a PIL against a pub. In 2011, residents of Vittal Mallya Road complained of a lounge bar in the upmarket UB City mall playing loud music.
“Getting the BBMP to act is difficult. They send notices, and then collude with bigger establishments,” alleges Nitin Seshadri, an activist who has been integral in the fight against commercialisation of Koramangala. While their fight against violations has seen the closure of relatively smaller establishments, there has been no success against bars, pubs or restaurants, he said.
Police said while numerous complaints have been received in commercial areas, they could do little but warn owners or shut down the establishment temporarily.
“As a deterrent, BBMP will restart the process of fining establishments where the noise level exceeds the permissible limit,” said Sarfaraz Khan, Joint commissioner (Health). “We had carried out a drive on Lavelle Road and Indiranagar, and collected around Rs. 15 lakh in fines. We will restart this drive along with the KSPCB who have noise-level monitoring devices. Areas such as Koramangala and Indiranagar have seen almost over-night commercialisation. We believe a system of imposing fines as well as awareness among business owners can ease the situation,” he said.
Nightlife in the city
Roof-top dining, bar and pubs: 34
Hotspots: Koramangala, Indiranagar, M.G. Road
Nightlife hotspots
Indiranagar: 48
Koramangala: 46
Whitefield: 25
The noise problem
Permissible limits for residential areas:
55db in the day; 45 db in the night