Pune Ganesh Visarjan Noise Hits 115 dB; Laxmi Road Averages 104.5 dB, COEP Report Shows

· Free Press Journal

Pune: Noise levels during the Ganesh Visarjan procession on Pune's Laxmi Road averaged 104.5 decibels (dB), far exceeding the permissible limits prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), according to a COEP Technological University sound monitoring report. The monitoring exercise covered 10 key crossroads along Laxmi Road during the 2026 immersion procession on Sep 25 and continued into the following morning.

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The locations included Belbaug Chowk, Ganpati Chowk, Limbaraj Maharaj Chowk, Kunte Chowk, Umbrya Ganpati Chowk, Bhausaheb Gokhale Chowk, Shedge Vithoba Chowk, Holkar Chowk, Lokmanya Tilak Chowk and Khanduji Baba Chowk. The information was provided by COEP Department of Applied Science and Humanities Head Mahesh Shindikar.

Noise Crossed 110 dB From Evening To Midnight

The COEP data shows that noise levels increased sharply as the immersion procession progressed through the day and remained extremely high late into the night. The average across all 10 locations was 98.7 dB at noon on Sep 25. It increased to 113.4 dB at 4 pm and remained high at 111.9 dB at 8 pm. At midnight, the average was still 112.6 dB.

The level then fell to 105.1 dB at 4 am before dropping further to 85.2 dB at 8 am on Sep 26. Shindikar said the exercise was conducted to scientifically record sound-level variations at different points along the procession route.

The highest individual reading in the monitoring exercise was 115.4 dB at Bhausaheb Gokhale Chowk at 8 pm. Umbrya Ganpati Chowk recorded 115.2 dB at 4 pm, while Kunte Chowk recorded 113.9 dB at midnight.

Noise remained high even during the morning hours after the procession had continued through the night. At 8 am on Sep 26, Lokmanya Tilak Chowk recorded 103.6 dB and Khanduji Baba Chowk recorded 101.5 dB. Some locations, therefore, continued to record levels above 100 dB even after sunrise.

Holkar Chowk Records Highest Overall Average

Among the 10 crossroads monitored by COEP, Holkar Chowk recorded the highest overall average at 106.8 dB. Shedge Vithoba Chowk followed with an average of 106.3 dB, while Lokmanya Tilak Chowk recorded 105.5 dB.

Bhausaheb Gokhale Chowk had an average of 104.4 dB, while Khanduji Baba Chowk recorded 104.2 dB. Umbrya Ganpati Chowk and Belbaug Chowk recorded averages of 104.1 dB and 104 dB, respectively. Limbaraj Maharaj Chowk stood at 103.5 dB and Ganpati Chowk at 103.3 dB.

Kunte Chowk had the lowest average at 102.8 dB, but this was still far above the applicable CPCB limits.

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Readings Far Above CPCB Noise Limits

The report compares the readings with the ambient noise standards prescribed by the CPCB for different types of areas. Industrial areas have a permissible limit of 75 dB during the day and 70 dB at night. The limits for commercial areas are 65 dB during the day and 55 dB at night.

Residential areas have limits of 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night, while silent zones have limits of 50 dB during the day and 40 dB at night. The COEP readings were substantially above even the industrial limits during the monitoring period, with the gap becoming particularly large during the evening and overnight hours.

At midnight, for example, the overall average noise level was 112.6 dB, while the industrial night-time limit is 70 dB. The commercial limit is 55 dB, while residential and silent zones have limits of 45 dB and 40 dB, respectively.

The monitoring period covered both daytime and night-time hours, allowing the readings to be compared with the respective CPCB standards. The figures, therefore, show a substantial difference between the sound levels recorded along Laxmi Road during the immersion procession and the prescribed ambient noise limits.

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2026 Level Rises From 2025

The COEP report also includes a historical comparison of noise levels recorded along the Laxmi Road procession route. The overall average was 90.7 dB in 2001 and reached 109.3 dB in 2013, the highest figure in the historical table.

Noise levels fell sharply during the Covid pandemic, when the average was 59.8 dB in both 2020 and 2021. The levels increased again after the pandemic, reaching 105.2 dB in 2022 and 101.2 dB in 2023. The average then fell to 94.8 dB in 2024 and 92.6 dB in 2025 before rising again to 104.5 dB in 2026.

The 104.5 dB average recorded in 2026 is 11.9 dB higher than the 92.6 dB average recorded in 2025. The comparison is significant because the 2025 COEP exercise also covered the 10 traditional Laxmi Road monitoring points. In its report on the 2025 exercise, COEP's monitoring team recorded a level of 101 dB at 8 am on Sep 7.

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COEP Has Monitored Laxmi Road For More Than Two Decades

COEP has been conducting sound-level monitoring during the Ganesh immersion procession on Laxmi Road for more than two decades. Shindikar has led the student team conducting the exercise for years.

The monitoring provides a long-term record of sound levels during Pune's major immersion procession and allows the latest readings to be compared with those from previous years.

The 2026 exercise comes amid increased focus on noise control during Pune's Ganesh Visarjan. This year, the Pune administration planned noise monitoring at multiple locations along the procession routes, while police and civic authorities appealed to mandals to follow the prescribed limits.

The main immersion procession on Sep 25 moved through the city's traditional routes, including Laxmi Road, Tilak Road, Kumthekar Road and Kelkar Road, before converging towards Alka Talkies Chowk.

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