To,

Police Inspector,
||||||||||| ||||||||||||||| Police Station,
Bangalore

Regarding: Complaint against noise pollution in neighbourhood by |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

temple.

Dear Sir,

I am a resident of ||||||||| ||||||| ||||||||||||| ||||||||| |||||||||||| ||||||||||| ||||||||||||||| |||||||| ||||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||. This is to bring to your notice that ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| temple in front of my house
plays songs, etc all day long and causes considerable disturbance to me and my family.
Even after repeatedly telling the people in the temple to put the songs on low volume,
they do not listen. I have made numerous complains in the past few months to the police
control room, but this problem has not been solved so far.

In addition to this, they turn on an electrical machine which plays the sound of bells
and drums and creates an unimaginable amount of noise. This is turned at different
times during the day and everyday very early in the morning.

This constant sound pollution is affecting us psychologically, is affecting our mental

health and causing us a lot of problem. We need silence in our neighborhood for us to
enjoy our environment and natural sounds without the constant sound assault on our ears.

May I bring to your kind notice that The Govt. of India has enacted Noise Pollution
(Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 vide S.O.123(E), dated 14th February, 2000. The
Rule deals with provisions to control noise pollution due to loud-speakers and public
address system, and has put specific restrictions on the sound level that is permitted in
residential areas. Moreover, there is a strict restriction on the use of loud speakers/utility
address system: A loud speaker or a public address system shall not be used except after
obtaining written permission from the authority.

I would like to know whether the temple has taken written permission from the relevant
authority (Police or the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board) before installing the
loud speaker, or the electrical equipment making the noise.

May I also bring to your kind notice numerous Supreme Court rulings regarding the use
of loud speakers, microphones, and other electrical apparatus capable of making and
reproducing sound by religious institutions, while upholding of personal rights of
citizens. Please see in particular judgements “P A Jacob v. S. V. Kottayam, AIR 1993
Ker 1”, “Church of God (Full Gospel) in India v. KKR Majestic Colony Welfare
Association and others, 2000 SCC 282” and many others in this regard. In a landmark
judgment, the Court held that no religion prescribes or preaches that prayers are required
to be performed through voice amplifiers or by disturbing peace and tranquility. Please
also see the ruling of “(1996) 100 CWN 617” in which the Calcutta High Court directed
the Government to take steps to see that the sound generated in the temples, mosques,
churches or gurudwaras, etc., does not flow beyond the vicinity of such religious place. It
also directed the authorities to calibrate and seal the apparatus amplifying the sound so
that the noise does not exceed the prescribed limit. I could state more such rulings, but I
believe I have made my point adequately.

I am hopeful that this matter can be resolved by you, but I am fully aware and
knowledgeable of my rights and laws and I will not hesitate to approach the Police
Commissioner and after 60 days, the Court and get a ruling in my favor.

I will also be tracking the status of this complain using the RTI Act, 2005. So please keep
me informed of what is being done regarding my complaint.

Looking forward to a speedy resolution of this problem.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully.

||||||||||| |||||||||||||||

||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||.
Dt: |||||||||||||||||||||||