The Gujarat government is cracking down hard on noise pollution. DJ trucks are in the hot seat. These rolling discos have been turning up the chaos instead of the beats. It has all been giving neighborhoods more headaches than dance moves. Now, it’s time for the party to cool down. And for the peace to turn the volume back up.
Despite rules and court orders, enforcement remains a challenge. At the same time, concerns have come up about police stations in silent zones giving out many loudspeaker permissions, raising questions about rule compliance.
According to the latest reports, state authorities issued a fresh circular to enforce noise pollution laws strictly. The focus is on regulating DJ truck activities. Officials who fail to act will face penalties. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) told the Gujarat High Court that the home department made standard operating procedures (SOP) and issued two circulars. These require sound systems to have sound limiters, as per a 2019 GPCB notification. No sound system can be sold without these limiters.
“The circular has cautioned the authorities that if they fail to comply with the circulars and SOP, then suitable actions will be taken against the implementing authorities for their negligence and inaction,” the affidavit reads.
Since March 2024, the government stopped giving new permissions for DJ truck modifications. Using DJ trucks and loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am is also banned.
These actions came after a contempt of court petition by advocate Amit Panchal. He said authorities ignored noise pollution despite a High Court order. The order came from a PIL by advocate Kaivan Dastoor. Dastoor raised concerns about DJ trucks causing loud noise in the city. This violates the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. In March 2024, the High Court told the government to make a policy to fix this.
Justices AS Supehia and LS Pirzada expressed appreciation for the steps taken by authorities in publishing the SOP and issuing a circular on June 16, 2025, but they noted that their only concern was regarding its effective implementation as directed by the Supreme Court.
The Gujarat High Court dismissed the government’s objections on the contempt case and scheduled the next hearing for November 10.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat University (GU) police station, located in a silent zone, gave 165 loudspeaker permissions between January and June 2023. This information was shared through an RTI request by petitioner Kaivan Dastoor’s lawyer, Maunil Yagnik. The police also admitted they did not fine anyone for loudspeaker violations during this time.
Noise rules say silent zones must keep sound below certain limits. GU is an educational area and a declared silent zone. The police station itself lies within this zone, which the petitioner pointed out.
The state’s SOP and circulars require district collectors and police commissioners to declare silent zones. They must also consider routes before allowing DJ trucks or loudspeakers.
The government’s rules include no permissions for DJ trucks or loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am. Sound limiters must be installed on all systems. DJ trucks without permission should be seized immediately. No new permissions are allowed for trucks with DJ systems until further notice. Officials who fail to enforce the rules will face action. Lists of silent zones must be published, and routes carefully reviewed before granting permissions.
These efforts show progress but also reveal ongoing problems. Strong enforcement and accountability are needed to keep peace and protect health in sensitive areas.
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