People United for Better Living In Calcutta (PUBLIC)

21/10/2025

Mamata BanerjeeFirhad Hakim - BobbyKolkata PoliceAnandabazar PatrikaThe TelegraphThe Times of IndiaMinistry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of IndiaDiwali in Kolkata has become a demonstration of the state government's inability to enforce even a semblance of law around noise pollution. Crackers and bombs that seem to be intended to shatter your ears have been exploding outside limits on timing and decibel set by the state's own laws and High Court orders. The least we would have expected would be some preparatory steps by the police and pollution control board in terms of patrolling and communication warning potential offenders. Failure to do this suggests helplessness, if not incompetence and/or negligence tantamount to complicity. It's our health that is bearing the cost.

21/10/2025

Mamata Banerjee Anandabazar Patrika The Telegraph Firhad Hakim - Bobby Kolkata Police BBC News The Times of India Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India Diwali in Kolkata has become a demonstration of government inability to enforce even a semblance of law around noise pollution. Some would call it incompetence, if not negligence amounting to complicity. Fireworks and bombs intended to shatter your ears have been exploding in the city beyond the permitted timings despite the state's own laws and orders of the High Court. Not only timings but also permitted decibel levels have been violated brazenly. (A call to the local police station drew a weak "we are sending someone" response.) Failure to be prepared for tighter enforcement shows callousness and disregard not only for the health effects of noise but also for the trust people place in government.

26/09/2025

Mamata BanerjeeKolkata PoliceKolkata Traffic Police Media reports estimate Rs500 cr being given to puja committees. This is fine; we should all celebrate the festival. BUT will the Hon'ble CM spare some money to protect residents of localities affected by such celebrations? The gates and stalls on the footpaths (they never used to exist in the past) make the locality unbearably noisy because of relentless honking by 2-wheelers and cars. Police are too busy with other jobs to worry about ordinary residents. The TelegraphFirhad Hakim - BobbyAnandabazar Patrika@

A comparison of noise as an evil with air pollution is weakened by insufficient data on noise and the drama of air pollution’s visibility. But even though the effects of noise are insidious and invisible, a quiet environment still is a fundamental right.

14/09/2025

Mamata Banerjee Kolkata Municipal Corporation Firhad Hakim - Bobby Pujas are a time for festivity and good cheer. But thanks to ruthless tree hacking, Kolkata's trees pay a heavy price. Each puja committee now gets more than Rs 1 lac of taxpayers' money to "celebrate" - why can't a portion be withheld based on how they treat our trees. If trees are damaged, the committee should forego the money they are supposed to receive. Let these committees learn to respect nature.

02/09/2025

Mamata Banerjee Kolkata Traffic Police Citizens of Kolkata need to gear up to fight the menace of noise in the city. Pujas are here but instead of pleasant music (which you do get in a few paras) we have to suffer relentless noise from honking and construction sites. Plenty of evidence that noise damages health - brings about early deafness, interferes with brain development of children and gives the elderly cardiac problems because of stress. The Pollution Board has successfully targeted generators and amplifiers in the past; now we need to push Kolkata Police into taking action against prolonged, unnecessary honking by 4-wheelers AND 2-wheelers. The laws exist! We need citizen action. Perhaps a protest where we gather around the CM's or Police Commissioner's homes and honk away - what a blast that would be!