Police said an investigation is underway.

Bhopal:

A 13-year-old boy has allegedly died while dancing to loud music playing on the amplifier, popularly called “DJ”, in Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal. The incident occurred when the victim, Samar Billore, heard the DJ playing outside his residence during a local festival celebration. With people dancing outside his house, Samar was drawn to the loud music and joined the crowd. He, however, collapsed during celebrations.

Unaware of his health condition, people around him kept dancing as his mother, Jamuna Devi, cried for help.

“He had a heart condition, but he was fine,” she said.

Doctors confirmed that he died of heart failure.

Samar’s father, Kailash Billore, said the DJ’s sound was “dangerously loud”. 

“Despite many warnings, it was not turned off. It felt like nothing could stop that noise, even as our son’s life slipped away,” he said.

The NDTV team conducted an investigation across Bhopal for 12 days, measuring noise levels in areas like Gautam Nagar, Jamboori Maidan, Jahangirabad, and Govindpura. The noise levels consistently ranged between 90 to 100 decibels, far beyond permissible limits.

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The rules clearly state that speakers should not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night in residential areas. In silent zones, the limit is even lower – 50 decibels during the day and 40 at night.

Despite guidelines from the Supreme Court and directives from Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav to control DJ noise, enforcement remains weak.

Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra acknowledged the challenges of noise pollution during festivals, stating, “We instruct organizers in advance, but the noise often continues.”

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Dr Neha Pawar, a local resident, said the DJ sound is “extremely loud”.

“Patients, children, and the elderly are suffering. There should be strict time and volume limits for DJs to prevent such problems,” she said.

Dharmendra Lodhi, another resident, said, “The noise from sound systems during festivals is unbearable. The administration’s failure to enforce the rules is the root cause of these problems.”

The loud noise can have severe health consequences, ranging from ear pain and hearing loss to increased heart rate and high blood pressure.

Dr Anusha Shukla, who treats conditions affecting ears, nose and throat, warned that prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing damage.

Cardiologist Kislay Srivastava added that loud noise could trigger irregular heartbeats, potentially leading to fatal outcomes.

Though the police claim to have taken action against 91 DJ operators under the Noise Act, the reality on the ground remains unchanged.