Patna High Court cracks down on noise pollution across Bihar

The Patna High Court has issued statewide directives on high-decibel noise, criticising the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) for failing to enforce noise pollution laws. In an August 14 order, Justice Rajiv Roy directed authorities to pursue routine enforcement rather than wait for complaints, and ordered DJs, sound-system operators, and event halls to register with subdivisional authorities. The court also mandated that loudspeakers stop playing at 9:55 p.m., five minutes before the legal cut-off, to allow operators to wind up.

The order follows a February 2025 hearing in the case Surendra Prasad vs State of Bihar, where the court noted that police in Patna, Barh, and Fatuha had seized equipment and levied fines over three months, but no action was taken in Masaurhi. Justice Roy called the lack of violations in Masaurhi 'unbelievable' and summoned police officers for boilerplate affidavits. The court observed that people have a right under Article 21 to be protected from unlawful noise, and that governments often tolerate noise from social events like festivals and weddings due to political considerations.