DH News Service BANGALORE, Nov 5

The High Court has warned Bangalore City police and the Transport department of stringent action if they failed to take steps by December 1 to control noise pollution caused by the vehicles in the city.

A Division Bench comprising Justice M F Saldanha and Justice M S Rajendra Prasad, which took serious exception for non implementation of High Court’s direction issued four years ago in this regard, also directed the authorities concerned to take steps to reduce noise pollution caused by the vehicles in the State.

The Bench also directed the authorities to designate all areas near schools, hospitals and places of worship as “silent zones.”

“Bangalore today has the worst record for noise pollution on the roads - the decibel level being seven times that of the tolerable limit.

Most of the 60,000 autorickshaws has removed the silencers and there is absolutely no check on use of horns”, the bench observed.

“The citizens of Bangalore are entitled to a better deal to their legitimate right for some “Shanti” and the authorities will have to provide it,” the judges said.