Pune: It's as if the volume keeps competing with itself, getting louder each year, Swargate resident Shweta Awate sums up citizens' experiences during this year's Ganeshotsav . Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)'s noise monitoring data during Ganesh festival showed that several locations in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad had higher noise levels than last year. The noise limit for the festival was set at 80 decibels (dB).
But multiple areas surpassed the threshold, raising health concerns among experts. The data showed that on Day 1 (Sept 7) of the festival, nine out of 21 major monitored locations exceeded the 80-dB mark, with Satara Road recording a staggering 90 dB. This is significantly higher than the 79.
27 dB recorded at the same location in 2023. Notable increases were also observed at Shivajinagar — 80.7 dB this year as against 78.
75 dB in 2023, and Karve Road, 84 dB this year as against 79.39 dB last year. The trend continued, with locations such as Laxmi Road (84.
1 dB on Day 5) and Shaniwar Peth (83.4 dB on Day 2) recording higher noise than 2023. Yerawada saw a big jump — from 77.
79 dB in 2023 to 83.5 dB in 2024 — on Day 5 of the festival. Areas like Kothrud and Mahatma Phule Mandai, however, showed improvements, with noise levels decreasing compared to last year.
But the level was still beyond the 80dB threshold. Sinhagad Road resident Suryansh Mahadik said, "The noise was unbearable. We thought our eardrums would burst.
" Jagannath H Salunkhe, regional off.