Can admn really keep ?em silent?

THE DISTRICT administration has banned the use of loudspeakers in the city from Saturday in the wake of upcoming board and varsity exams in the month of March. ADM City Ram Araj Maurya has taken the step after number of requests pouring in from educationists, students and their parents.

“A loud speaker or a public address system shall not be used except after obtaining written permission from the district authorities” says ADM City Ram Araj Maurya

He added, “The district administration has already banned the use of loudspeakers during examinations, so no one can use it without prior permission.”

Anyone getting disturbed by the noise pollution caused by loudspeakers could complain to the district authorities, he said. On the other hand, common Lucknowites doubt the ability of the administration to implement Supreme Court directives, banning use of loudspeakers during night hours.

Earlier, similar types of directives were passed by the Allahabad High Court bench of Justice Shobha Dixit and Justice SHA Raza in 1999 restricting the use of loudspeakers in public places during the day time too but rarely administration bothered to implement those orders in the city.

School principals and students demanded total ban on loudspeakers during exam time. Loudspeakers could be a source of recreation on certain occasions but at times they can also prove to be irritating. The noise pollution caused by loudspeakers is hitting the students below the belt, it causes hindrance in preparations of board exams and other competitive exams. The poor students are unable to lodge their protest to the people disturbing them. “No one has the right to disturb the students, when they cannot help them. The Supreme Court has already banned the use of loudspeakers,” said director of SKD Academy Manish Singh.

“I appeal to all religious clerics and the common man to stop using loud speakers till students are going through their examinations, I also appeal to the administration to roll back the three-hour power cuts as students are the worst sufferers,” said Singh.

“Cops of the local thana should undertake regular surveillance and see that loudspeakers and music systems were not being played beyond the restricted decibel limits,” said Geetanjali student of class XII.  

The heads managing the religious places too are against the use of loudspeakers. Lucknow Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee president Rajendra Singh Bagga is all for the ban on loudspeakers at religious places during exam time.

“Students are just like flowers please allow them to blossom, don’t create hurdles in their path,” said Bagga.

“Along with the religion we have some social responsibilities also, we can’t ignore our social responsibility by adopting a hard line on the issue, the religious places be it temple, mosque or gurudwara must not take undue advantage of some special right which are given to them by the people, the religious places must not use loudspeakers during exams or use within their premises,” said Bagga.