Bombay high court on Monday reprimanded additional chief secretary home, K.P. Bakshi, for not procuring enough noise mapping meters before the Ganesh and Navratri festivals. The court further observed that the state was insensitive about this issue and hence, asked for specifications by next Thursday.

The court asked the government on what basis it had earlier made a statement in the high court that it would procure noise meters.

“It is a complete breach of HC orders,\" said the division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.A. Sayed. The bench was hearing a bunch of petitions filed by various activists and NGOs for curbing noise pollution in the city and the state. On its part, the state government replied that the suppliers to whom it had given the contract had not provided the meters on time.

The bench then stated that for the past six years, the state government had been misleading the court; a fact that it would now have to accept along with making a statement that it had been unable to procure meters. The court further said that it would direct a NGO to supply meters to the state government.

“Why don’t you take meters from the NGO which is ready to give them to you ” said the bench. The state argued that the NGO’s noise meters were not so sophisticated and newer meters were capable of giving on the spot readings so that copies could be given to violators and action initiated against them.

Following this, the court asked the state government to submit the desired specifications of noise meters next week so that it could check whether the NGO’s meters were capable enough or not.

At the last hearing, the court had observed that despite directing the state government to purchase 1,843 noise meters, the state government had procured only 600 meters and on top of it, sought two months to procure the remaining meters. The court was irked with the state government and asked one of the highest officers to remain present for the next hearing.