Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sadanand Date has been appointed as the chairman of the committee to monitor the ongoing Kala Ghoda festival in south Mumbai for any noise pollution and other violations.
The committee, which also includes advocate Jamshed Mistry and deputy municipal commissioner (zone I), was directed to be formed by the High Court last week to see if the festival causes inconvenience to locals.
The High Court was hearing a petition filed by local resident Berges Malu complaining about the hardships, inconvenience and nuisance and safety and security risk to residents in the vicinity during the festival.
A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and G S Kulkarni had earlier ordered for a four-member committee to be formed.
However, the court was today informed by advocate Mistry that till date the chief secretary has not nominated a senior officer to chair the committee. Due to this, the other members of the committee have not been able to monitor the festival.
The bench today altered its order and appointed Sadanand as the chairman of the committee. The court directed the three-member committee to go ahead with the monitoring.
The committee has to submit its report on March 3 recommending ways to deal with the problems faced by the local residents with regards to parking and other civic amenities.
The organisers of the festival have given an undertaking to the Court that no loudspeakers and drums would be used during the shows at the festival.
