Overview
- The city has outlawed laser and plasma lights for immersion processions and said DJs may operate only within prescribed decibel limits enforced under existing noise rules.
- Police report seizing sound equipment at six locations and logging 148 noise violations after more than 1,000 checks as officers step up festival enforcement.
- Citizen groups staged marches calling for a DJ‑free Ganeshotsav and highlighted health and sleep harms to children, the elderly and night‑shift workers.
- Ganesh mandals accept restrictions on some equipment but oppose a blanket DJ ban and demand uniform, consistently applied rules that also cover traditional dhol‑tasha groups.
- Political leaders have taken varied stands, with the Pune Congress backing a DJ‑free festival and senior BJP figures urging strict enforcement while protecting traditional troupes, leaving the dispute unresolved as the festival approaches.