LIFE AND STYLE
Noise Pollution Crackdown: 1,225 Fines Issued as Government Vows Harsher Penalties
More than 1,200 noise pollution fines have been issued by police in a single year, figures from the Commissioner of Police reveal, as the Environment Ministry plans to hike penalties to deter disruptive parties and noise pollution.
A total of 1,225 fixed penalty notices for noise nuisances were issued between 1st November 2024 and 6th November 2025. This surge in enforcement comes amidst frequent disturbances from nocturnal parties in residential areas and coastal zones, particularly those near public beaches and seaside villas.
Enforcement and Legislative Review
The current penalty for an established noise nuisance is a fixed fine of Rs 10,000. However, the Environment Ministry is now looking to increase these sanctions to more effectively discourage these disturbances.
The police enforcement efforts are guided by two key 2022 regulations: the Environment Protection (Control of Noise) Regulations and the Environment Protection (Environmental Standards for Noise) Regulations.
How Nuisances are Defined
The Control of Noise Regulations addresses subjective nuisances, which are evaluated by the Police de l’Environnement (Environmental Police) based on four criteria:
- Its perceived intensity to the human ear.
- Its type and method of production.
- The degree of interference it generates.
The Environmental Police, which specialises in high-volume sounds from houses, bungalows, and villas—especially near the coast and public beaches—prioritises prompt intervention on isolated incidents occurring at unusual hours due to overriding public safety concerns.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Standards for Noise Regulations provides a scientific basis, classifying noise into three categories—industrial, residential (neighbourhood), and power stations—and establishing maximum permissible thresholds.
Resource Shortfall for Scientific Testing
For objective evaluations in noise complaints, the Environmental Police currently calls upon the Health Engineering Section of the Ministry of Health.
Police have a significant shortfall in measuring equipment, owning only two Sound Level Meters, compared to the Health Section’s fourteen. An urgent request has been made to the Commissioner of Police to acquire more of the devices to strengthen monitoring capabilities.
Source: Defi Media
