LUCKNOW, March 22 -- Taking a stern view of rising noise pollution caused by modified silencers and illegal hooters, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has summoned the Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) and the transport commissioner to appear via video conferencing on April 2.

The court directed the officers to explain the steps taken over the past five years to curb the manufacture and sale of modified silencers and pressure horns, and to file detailed affidavits before the next hearing.

A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary passed the order on March 16 while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) registered suo motu in 2021 on the issue of noise pollution. The court has ...