Registrar Warns Managing Committees Are Liable for DJ Noise Breaches in Societies

The Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies for Ambernath and Badlapur, Rajendra Vitthal Markad, issued a circular on 8 September 2026 warning housing societies that their managing committees can be held directly responsible if DJs or loudspeakers operated within the premises breach permissible noise limits during festivals. The circular was issued ahead of this year's Ganeshotsav, observed from 14 to 25 September, and cites Supreme Court directions and the state's noise-pollution rules.

What the circular says

Under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, a housing society premises falls in the 'residential zone' category, where ambient sound is not supposed to exceed 45 decibels at night and correspondingly low limits through the day. The circular states that DJs and loudspeakers operating above this threshold inside society compounds will not be tolerated, and specifically names the president, secretary, treasurer and other managing committee members as accountable if a society allows such violations — not only the individual operating the sound equipment. It also flags the health impact of high-decibel noise on elderly residents, students, young children, and people with hypertension or heart conditions.

Why this matters beyond Ganeshotsav

The circular was framed around this year's Ganeshotsav dates, but the underlying noise-pollution rules and the principle of committee accountability are not festival-specific. With Navratri and Diwali following in October and November, and similar crackdowns on high-decibel DJ use already reported from Nagpur and other parts of the state, managing committees should treat this as the start of a season-long compliance requirement rather than a one-off notice tied to a single festival.

What this means for housing societies

• Any DJ, loudspeaker or sound system hired for a society event — Ganeshotsav, Navratri garba, or Diwali functions — should be contractually bound to stay within the 45-decibel residential limit, with the vendor responsible for calibrating equipment.
• Managing committees should record, in writing (minutes or a circular to residents), that festival celebrations within the society must comply with noise limits, so individual office-bearers are not left personally exposed if a resident or vendor violates the rule.
• Societies hosting events should consider having a committee member monitor sound levels during the event, or use a decibel-meter app, since the Registrar's office has signalled it will act on complaints.
• Complaints from within a society about excessive noise should be treated as a governance matter for the committee to resolve promptly, rather than left unaddressed, since inaction itself can now be cited as the basis for holding office-bearers accountable.

The circular does not spell out specific penalties or the enforcement mechanism for individual cases, but it signals that committees can expect scrutiny through the rest of the 2026 festival season. Societies would be well advised to circulate the noise-limit requirement to residents and any event vendors before Navratri celebrations begin next month.