6,000 Loudspeakers Removed From Religious Places While 30,000 Lower Volume

Lucknow: Over 6,000 loudspeakers have been removed from religious places across Uttar Pradesh over the last four days. Also, the volume of 30,000 loudspeakers have been lowered to permissible levels across Uttar Pradesh over the last four days.

The Yogi Adityanath-headed state government recently directed every district to comply with UP Pollution Control Board norms on loudspeakers by April 30.

A Bihar minister recently said that reciting of azaan through loudspeakers should be banned across the country.

“A statewide drive is being undertaken to remove loudspeakers from religious places and set their volume within permissible limits. As part of this exercise, 6,031 loudspeakers were removed and the volume of 29,674 others was reduced to permissible limits so far,” additional director general (law and order) Prashant Kumar informed on Wednesday.

“Though microphones can be used, make sure the sound does not come out of any premises. Other people should not face any problem,” Yogi told officials during a meeting with senior officials last week.

Police haven’t faced opposition in implementing the order so far as religious leaders of Hindu and Muslim communities in several districts had unanimously agreed to reduce the volume of loudspeakers.

The most number of loudspeakers removed was in districts of Varanasi zone (1,366), followed by 1,215 in Meerut zone, 1,070 in Bareilly zone, 1,056 in Kanpur zone, 912 in Lucknow zone, a police officer said.