Festival noise curbs hit Hyderabad’s sound equipment business | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Restrictions on loudspeakers in Hyderabad have hit the city’s DJ and sound equipment business, with shop owners reporting fewer sales and rentals during this year’s festival season.Traders in Punjagutta, Secunderabad and the Old City said customer inquiries continued, but fewer translated into rentals or purchases. They said the decline became noticeable after restrictions on loudspeaker use during festivals were introduced in 2024. “Earlier, we had about 10 to 15 bookings each year. Now, the number has gone down to about five or eight,” they said.Equipment available for celebrations ranges from subwoofers and tower speakers to larger truck-mounted sound systems. Daily rentals typically cost between ₹5,000 and ₹15,000, depending on the brand, capacity and equipment type. Shop owners said most customers sought systems for outdoor gatherings of around 100 people.Officially prescribed noise limits for commercial areas are 65 dB during the day and 55 dB at night. Residential area limits are 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night. Silence zones, including areas around hospitals and schools, have limits of 50 dB during the day and 40 dB at night.Shop owners said the restrictions had directly affected their livelihoods, as selling and renting sound equipment was their primary source of income. “This is our business and we do it for our livelihood. Vehicles also cause pollution and accidents, but can we ban them?” they said.Under the latest Hyderabad police guidelines, public celebrations must use “box-type” speakers instead of high-decibel line arrays and comply with prescribed noise limits. Officials from Hyderabad police’s law and order wing said no pandal had formally sought permission so far. They said the rules would be strictly enforced this year and violators would face action.Residents in areas where Ganesh pandals are being set up across the city said that while enforcement has been strict, loudspeakers are still sometimes played at high volumes during the festive season. “Noise levels can be frustrating but we have gotten used to it at this point, and during the season it has become a norm regardless of whichever celebration is taking place,” residents said.Organisers, meanwhile, said they would adhere to the prescribed guidelines. Representatives of Bhagyanagar Utsav Samiti and Khairatabad Ganesh mandal said the celebrations would be conducted in accordance with the guidelines and traditional ways and that the festivities would be carried out smoothly.