Bengalureans upset over pubs violating decibel limits

Ramnath Palaniappan keeps the windows of his house shut at night because of the loud music blaring from a pub and restobar nearby. He lives in 4th Block, Koramangala. In the past week, he has called the police twice to complain about the 'nuisance'.

Violating decibel limits (see box), some pubs and restobars in Koramangala play music way too loud, allege residents like Palaniappan.

The tech professional says, "When we call the police, they intervene and the pubs reduce the volume. But it gets noisy again in 10 minutes, or the next weekend."

Loud music robs citizens of their sleep while children struggle to study, and houses with closed windows compromise on ventilation. Families with elderly and sick people are affected by the noise, says Raghu Rajagopal, president of the Koramangala 4th Block Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA).

The pubs in Koramangala are spread across the 4th, 5th and 6th Blocks.  

A majority of them are concentrated in the area around the Jyoti Nivas College in the 5th Block, classified as an industrial zone, a policeman says.

Metrolife visited the neighbourhood last Saturday. A little after 10 pm, the pubs were blasting music, one louder than the other. The law says music can’t be above 70 dB after 10 pm. "Often, the DJ music playing inside is within the prescribed decibel limits. But the problem is that these pubs place loudspeakers outside to attract the crowds," says a DJ who plays at pubs in the locality.

The 4th and 6th blocks have such establishments along the main road and houses behind them. "Zonal regulations governing commercial establishments abutting residential areas are at the heart of the problem," says Rajagopal.

Neerja Shetty, president of the Koramangala 6th Block RWA, is tired of "stopgap measures" by the police. Even Rajagopal demands a "single-window authority" to resolve the issue permanently. He said they have approached everybody from the police to the pollution control board, BBMP, excise department and even the human rights commission. 

The violation of the decibel limit is also commonplace in Indiranagar, says Sneha Nandihal, a citizen activist from the area. 

Fun v/s rules

DJs say when they lower the volume after the party has warmed up, the crowds are disappointed and start booing them.

Music drives the business of pubs and that’s why establishments revert to loud music despite complaints and warnings, another DJ says. "Our night decibel limit is 70. In the UK, it is 120 to 140 because it is not as thickly populated," he explains.

DJ Prithvi said there are only a handful of soundproof pubs in Bengaluru but all have a decibel meter on the premises. "Keeping the sound level in check is obviously a problem in venues that are set on terraces, and crowds prefer open venues," he shares.

Chethan Hegde, chapter head, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) Bengaluru, and owner of the 1522 chain of pubs, acknowledges that pub music is a "little loud on weekends for two-three hours at night" and big gatherings and birthday celebrations add to the noise. "We have formed WhatsApp groups with residents of areas like J P Nagar and New BEL Road to act on their complaints," he says.

4 cases

The Koramangala police have booked four cases against pubs playing loud music in three months, Metrolife has learnt.

Sound limit rule

The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, prescribes 75, 65, and 55 dB for industrial, commercial and residential areas during the day. Night limits are 70, 55 and 45 dB respectively. Some smartwatches can now show dB levels.

Advocate Indra Dhanush says, "The high court of Karnataka as well as Supreme Court have several times issued orders restraining commercial establishments from playing loud music above prescribed decibel levels. Aggrieved residents can approach the jurisdictional police or the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board or the court if the nuisance continues."