CWP-21826-2026 (O&M) 1 151 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP-21826-2026 (O&M) Date of decision: 20.07.2026 IREO AIPL RESIDENTS WELFARE ASSOCIATION (IARWA) ....Petitioner Versus STATE OF PUNJAB AND OTHERS ...Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ROHIT KAPOOR ***** Present: Mr. Shaurya Khanna, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. Gurbhej Singh, Advocate Mr. G.S. Lakhyan, Advocate for respondent No.6-PPCB. Mr. Sandeep Verma, Advocate for respondents No.8 and 10. Ms. Samdisha Kaur, AAG, Punjab. ***** ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA, A.C.J. (Oral) 1. Limited grievance pressed in the petition is that the residents of the colony at Ludhiana are being harassed, as they are to face noise pollution on account of various parties/marriages allowed in the common area by playing loud music beyond 10 pm. Concerts are also being held, which cause harassment to the residents. Reliance is placed upon the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 (for short ‘the 2000 Rules’), which puts an embargo on the use of loudspeakers or any public address system, except after obtaining written permission from the authorities. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioner has referred to and relied upon an MOHIT GOYAL 2026.07.22 10:37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CWP-21826-2026 (O&M) 2 order passed by the Coordinate Bench of this Court in CWP-6213-2016 titled as ‘Reet Mohinder Singh vs. State of Punjab and others’, decided on 22.07.2019, wherein directions have been issued in following terms:- “28. Accordingly, the writ petitions are disposed of with the following mandatory directions:- i) The States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh are directed to ensure that no loudspeaker or public address system shall be used by any person including religious bodies in Temples, Mosques and Gurudwaras without written permission of the authority even during day time, that too, by getting an undertaking that the noise level shall not exceed more than 10dB(A) peripheral noise level. ii) The States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh are directed to ensure that the loudspeaker, public address system, musical instrument and sound amplifier are not played during night time except in auditoria, conference rooms, community halls, banquet halls as per norms laid down under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. iii) The States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh are directed to ensure that loud speakers or public address systems are not used between 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m., except between 10.00 p.m. to 12.00 midnight during any cultural or religious festive occasion of a limited duration not exceeding 15 days in all during a calendar year, that too, the noise level shall not exceed 10dB(A) above the ambient noise standards for the area. The peripheral noise level of a privately owned sound system or a sound producing instrument shall not, at the boundary of the private place, exceed by more than 5dB (A). The authority concerned shall keep on visiting and monitoring at the public places, private places, auditoriums, conference rooms, community halls, banquet halls, temples, mosques and Gurudwaras to ensure due compliance of the Rules. iv) We direct all the Senior Superintendents of Police/ Superintendents of Police in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh to ensure that no horn shall be blown in silence zone or during the night time between 10.00 p.m. to 06.00 a.m. in residential areas except during public emergency. No sound emitting construction equipments shall be used or operated during the night time between 10.00 p.m. to 06.00 a.m. in residential areas or silence zone. m. The pressure horns are banned throughout the States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh. The violators of the Rules be penalized under the Rule 6 of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. v) All the Senior Superintendents of Police/ Superintendents of Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police in the States of Punjab, MOHIT GOYAL 2026.07.22 10:37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CWP-21826-2026 (O&M) 3 Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh are directed to ensure that motorcycles throughout the States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh are duly fitted with silencers to avoid noise pollution and menace. vi) No person, throughout the States of Punjab, Hayana and Union Territory, Chandigarh, shall carry any fire-arm to a fair, religious procession/ marriage procession or other public assemblage or within the campus or precincts of any educational institution. vii) The Licensing Authorities are also directed to ensure that no licence is issued to any person, who has not completed the age of 21 years. viii) No licence shall be issued to a person who has been sentenced on conviction of any offence involving violence or moral turpitude to imprisonment for [any term] at any time during a period of five years. ix) No licence shall be issued to a person who has been ordered to execute under Chapter VIII of the [code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974)], a bond for keeping the peace or for good behaviour, during the term of the bond. x) The Director General of Police in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh, are directed to ensure that no songs are played glorifying the liquor, wine, drugs and violence in any song even in live shows. xi) The States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh are also directed that no child below the age of 12 years is permitted to enter cinema halls/ multiplexes, where “A” certificate films are screened. xii) The District Administration is directed to ensure that nude posters, semi-nude posters, obscene posters should not be fixed/ displayed in any district near the educational institutions in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh. xiii) The Deputy Commissioners in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh, are directed to ensure that no loudspeakers are permitted 15 days before the annual examinations and during the course of examinations. xiv) The recommendations made by the Committee constituted by this Court are ordered to be implemented in letter and spirit for proper enforcement of law. xv) The District Magistrates/ Senior Superintendents of Police/ Superintendents of Police of each district shall be personally responsible to ensure due compliance of the directions issued hereinabove.” 3. Private respondents No.8 and 10 are represented through Mr. Sandeep Verma, Advocate. A statement is made by the learned counsel that except for one event, no other activity involving playing of loud music has been MOHIT GOYAL 2026.07.22 10:37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CWP-21826-2026 (O&M) 4 allowed in the premises, and in respect of the solitary aberration noticed, appropriate action has been taken by imposing fine etc. Learned counsel further makes a statement that respondents No.8 and 10 shall ensure that henceforth, the provisions of the 2000 Rules are complied with, and appropriate action, as is warranted in terms of the judgment of this Court in Reet Mohinder Singh (supra), shall be undertaken without any delay. 4. In view of the stand taken by the respondents, we are of the view that this petition can be disposed of in terms of the judgment delivered by the Coordinate Bench of this Court in Reet Mohinder Singh (supra). The respondents shall ensure that the provisions of the 2000 Rules, as well as the order passed by this Court in Reet Mohinder Singh (supra), are complied with, such that the residents are not faced with any noise pollution and consequential harassment. 5. Petition stands disposed of accordingly. 6. Pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of. (ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA) ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE (ROHIT KAPOOR) 20.07.2026 JUDGE mohit goyal Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes / No Whether reportable : Yes / No MOHIT GOYAL 2026.07.22 10:37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document