Patna High Court goes hard on noise pollution

Patna High Court goes hard on noise pollution Expressing concern over road accidents and public inconvenience caused by pressure horns, the court directed police authorities to problem challans (fines) under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Key points

• A single-judge bench led by Justice Rajiv Roy issued this strict order while concluding the hearing of a contempt petition on August 14, 2026.
• Expressing concern over road accidents and public inconvenience caused by pressure horns, the court directed police authorities to problem challans (fines) under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• "The State of Bihar must be made free of the Pressure Horns, " the court remarked in the order.
• The Court, in its direction, remarked that there would be a complete ban on loudspeakers after 9: 55 p.m.
• As per the Noise Pollution Act, All the DJ operators and loudspeaker owners using it during the daytime should keep it at a lower decibel level.

Patna High Court has issued a comprehensive set of statewide directives to curb the unregulated employ of DJs, high-decibel loudspeakers, and pressure horns. File. Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Going hard against the rampant noise pollution in Bihar, the Patna High Court has issued a comprehensive set of statewide directives to curb the unregulated employ of DJs, high-decibel loudspeakers, and pressure horns.

For context, a single-judge bench led by Justice Rajiv Roy issued this strict order while concluding the hearing of a contempt petition on August 14, 2026. The court directed all District Magistrates (DMs), Superintendents of Police (SPs), Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs), and Station House Officers (SHOs) throughout the state to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Representing the State administration, Administration Pleader (GP-2) Prashant Pratap assured the court that the order would be communicated to all administrative and police authorities in Bihar for immediate and effective implementation.

Notably, the Court additionally commended Mr. Pratap's efforts in facilitating the implementation of every judicial directive issued in the matter in letter and spirit.

In practice, the Court, in its direction, remarked that there would be a complete ban on loudspeakers after 9: 55 p.m.

As per the Noise Pollution Act, "All the DJ operators and loudspeaker owners using it during the daytime should keep it at a lower decibel level. All the DJ operators/ loudspeaker owners/ Banquet Hall owners under no circumstances be allowed to employ it beyond 09.55 p.m., " the court directed.

It further ordered, No DJ operators and loudspeaker owners be allowed to employ it near the hospitals, and they will have to cross the stated place in completely silent mode. The same yardstick shall be applicable in the cases where schools are situated (during the daytime), and the D.J. Operators will have to cross the remarked place again in silent mode, the court directed.

Expressing concern over road accidents and public inconvenience caused by pressure horns, the court directed police authorities to problem challans (fines) under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Citing the example of Pothia in Katihar (where fines totalling ₹1, 10, 000 were collected in a single week), the court observed that this campaign would generate revenue alongside enhancing road safety.

Orders have been issued to maintain complete silence regarding the operation of DJs and vehicles near healthcare facilities and educational institutions. It will be mandatory to install prominent 'Silence Zones' (No Horn/No Loudspeaker) signboards in these areas.

Time has additionally come to categorise the city into the Industrial/ commercial/ residential and silence zones as contemplated under the different Rules of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, and the prescribed standards must be followed, the court observed.

"Every DJ operator, marriage hall owner, and sound system operator must mandatorily register with the local Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), and a copy of this registration must additionally be submitted to the concerned police station. The Bihar State Pollution Control Board has been directed to install sound monitoring systems and digital display boards in public places to raise awareness among the general public, " the court directed.

To ensure better coordination throughout the State, instructions have been issued to the High Court office to immediately send copies of this order to the Transport Secretary and the Further Chief Secretary of the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

For now, patna High Court goes hard on noise pollution remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.