Indiranagar residents ask cops to implement court order against bars and restaurants causing noise pollution

By Anuksha Dey

The residents of Indiranagar have petitioned the city police commissioner to act on errant bars and restaurants flouting the law. They have also filed a police complaint against the establishments, and asked the top cop to treat it as a First Information Report (FIR). The citizens are merely asking the Bengaluru police to implement the interim order passed by the Karnataka High Court in February 2020. 

At the time, top cop Praveen Sood had filed an affidavit in the court on how the city police would take action on the errant establishments. “They were supposed to seize the equipment, book the owners, and shut the place in conjunction with the State Pollution Control Board,” says Sneha Nandihal of I Change Indiranagar, a federation of residents welfare associations in and around Indiranagar. “But they didn’t do it even after a police complaint was made by the residents.” 

The residents had gone to the Karnataka High Court against the errant restaurants and bars in 2019. The residents have now filed a police complaint against Sly Granny, Nevermind, and One for the Road. All three bars and restaurants are right behind houses on 11th Main. The people living on this road are putting up with noise pollution from these commercial establishments for close to four years now. Besides the loud music and noise from industrial grade machines and equipment, the locals are also inconvenienced by the parking issues caused by these outlets. In addition, some of these restaurants flout safety norms, making them a potential fire hazard for everyone.

Noise pollution woes

“The restaurants play loud music late into the night regularly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,” complains Namana S, a resident living with her 65-year-old mother. “The music stops after 1am or 2am. However, the chimney keeps operating through the night.” The loud noise from the industrial grade equipment makes it difficult for people to sleep even after the bars and restaurants are shut for the night. “Sometimes, they have parties on weekdays too, making it difficult for us to sleep and prepare for the next day,” adds Namana.

When the area was first commercialised, the residents of Indiranagar had no issues. “There were only one or restaurants and bars in the area that shut down by 10-11 pm,” recalls resident Indira Viswanathan of Social Amenities Association. “The moment the authorities extended the timing to 1 am, the number of establishments quadrupled and became a problem.”

Bars without music licence

Bars and restaurants who play live or recorded music in Bangalore require permission from the police. If they don’t have the permission, the cops are empowered to shut down such establishments. Besides, bars and restaurants need occupancy certificates to get music licenses, and occupancy certificates are only given when they are set up according to the building bylaws. However, these bars and restaurants are set up too close to residential areas, and lack soundproofing and proper parking spaces. “This means they cannot get a music licence,” points out Indira.

Valet parking is a big nuisance 

Ideally, all bars and restaurants should have parking space for visitors. The byelaws mention that the basement is to be used for parking at these establishments. However, the bars in Indiranagar do not have any dedicated parking areas. The result? “The visitors park in front of my house, and I have to call the tow truck to clear them atleast once every week,” says Indira.  Dr Adersh, whose house is behind Sly Granny, concurs: “The bars have a valet parking system, where the drivers park them in residential areas, often blocking our driveway. I am a doctor who often gets emergency calls at night. I have to keep the patients waiting because of this problem.” 

Lack of safety precautions

The bars and restaurants appear to prioritise aesthetics over safety. Sly Granny has a rooftop bar which is not allowed in the area. Dr Adersh says the restaurant has an exhaust diesel generator in the basement. “This is illegal as it’s using the basement to keep heavy equipment, such as diesel generators and industrial fridges for cold storage,” he told Residents Watch. “This is against the fire safety rules, and they are putting the entire neighbourhood at risk.” 

No action by the authorities

The residents say they have to keep calling the police to make the restaurants shut down late night music. However, this is just a temporary solution. “They start the music again half an hour after we complain,” says Dr Adersh. Namana, whose house is between Sly Granny and Nevermind, says: “The two restaurants blame each other for the noise and neither takes any action. We don’t want to shut down these bars. We just hope they will make some adjustments to reduce the noise pollution and follow the law.”

According to Indira, the police have the authority to seize the music system, but refuse to do so. “They keep passing the buck to the State Pollution Control Board,” she says. “When the bars don’t even have the permission to play music, the pollution board will come into the picture as the establishment is playing music louder than what is allowed.”  

The residents are regularly attending the court hearings every month since 2019. “The Feb 2020 judgement was an interim order,” says Nandihal. “We are waiting for the final High Court order where all the illegal bars and restaurants in Indiranagar are shut down.”