Overview
- Local enforcement has begun to move: Pune police registered an FIR and seized sound equipment from a Bibwewadi Dahi Handi mandal after officials found twice the permitted number of speakers.
- Political voices are divided on policy: Health minister Meghana Bordikar and guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat urged DJ‑free festivals for public health reasons while minister Yogesh Kadam rejected a blanket ban and the chief minister is seeking consensus.
- Grassroots pressure rose after activist Vidyanand Bapat was assaulted for speaking against DJs, and protesters marched to the Pune Municipal Corporation on Sunday to demand uniform enforcement of noise rules.
- Many festival groups are responding voluntarily: 31 prominent Pune Ganapati mandals held a DJ‑free Dahi Handi and about 200 mandals have pledged to use traditional instruments instead of high‑decibel DJ systems.
- The dispute sits on existing legal ground — Supreme Court guidelines and prior local bans such as Parbhani in 2025 — and with Ganeshotsav due in mid‑September enforcement, voluntary pledges and political debate are likely to determine what festival sound looks like this year.