In Mandya district residents of Nagamangala town have applied to the municipality's police and filed a complaint with them due to the high level of the use of loudspeakers to loudly ring out the call to prayer. Today the Jamia Masjid sound is too loud, that is causing severe worry to all the nearby residents.
The move can be compared with a renewed focus on maintaining Supreme Court guidelines about noise pollution and loudspeakers in public and religious establishments across the country. ‘Constant Irritations’ Neighborhoods rise in protest. The complaint was filed by residents in the proximity of the mosque. The affected areas include:
- Kumbara Street.
- Banajigara Street.
- Achara Street.
- Paduvalapattana Road
The deafening decibel level of loudspeakers at the Jamia Masjid penetrates homes and disrupts lives, according to the petitioners. The sound is blasted four to five times a day, some as early as 5:30 AM, the residents stated, continuing until the afternoon and evening.
Impact on Vulnerable Groups
The public in Nagamangala has mainly worried about the bad health and brain effects of the high-decibel noise.
- Senior Citizens: Most older residents along these streets suffer from heart issues or troubled sleep conditions, according to reports.
- Students and Children: Because of the pressure of final examinations approaching soon, students have complained that a barrage of often-disruptive sounds is putting a large portion of their focus away from studies.
- Babies parents have observed that the Azaan often wakes babies in the early morning, resulting in irritability and disrupted sleep cycles.
The Decibel War: Legal Background
The residents have called on the police to uphold existing laws. Earlier in Karnataka, the government stated that loudspeakers could not be louder than 10 dB above the ambient noise level of the vicinity or 75 dB in industrial areas and 55 dB in residential areas during the day.
“We do not oppose any kind of religious practice,” said one resident whose anonymity was maintained. The Nagamangala police had accepted receipt of the complaint and would be in touch with mosque committee to find solution that is congenial to both religious views and the need for quiet quarters.
