Decibel Shield
Noise ordinances › India › Bengaluru
Noise rules in Bengaluru: the limits, who enforces them, and how to complain
Bengaluru follows India's national noise rules: 55 dB(A) by day and 45 at night in homes, night being 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Karnataka requires written permission for loudspeakers and allows them until midnight on at most 15 days a year, and its pollution board has directed a night ban on sound-emitting construction except metro works. Complaints go to the police on 112.
Last updated:
The limits
The decibel limits are national, set in the Schedule to the Rules; Karnataka's job is to classify each locality into one of the four zones and to enforce them. The full text, the night restrictions and the complaint rules are on the India noise rules page.
| Area code | Category of area/zone | Day time | Night time |
|---|---|---|---|
| (A) | Industrial area | 75 | 70 |
| (B) | Commercial area | 65 | 55 |
| (C) | Residential area | 55 | 45 |
| (D) | Silence Zone | 50 | 40 |
Who enforces the rules in Bengaluru
Karnataka's Forest, Ecology and Environment Department Government Order No. FEE 46 ENV 2000 of 13-8-2002, as quoted in KSPCB's directions of 28 March 2014, places enforcement of noise limits with the police. Under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, it directs the Director General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in Bangalore (and four other cities) and Home Department officers not below Deputy Superintendent of Police rank to act against violators and prosecute them. A 2019 addendum (G.O. No. FEE EPC 2018, dated 18.09.2019, quoted in a KSPCB office memorandum of 3 Feb 2020) also directs officers of KSPCB, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Revenue Department not below that rank to act. KSPCB delegated this to its technical officers not below Deputy Environmental Officer rank. The GO frames this as directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act; its loudspeaker clause refers to these officers as 'the designated authorities as mentioned in para 2(1)'.
"Under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 the Government hereby issues directions to the Director General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in the cities of Bangalore, Mysore, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Hubli-Dharwad, and other officers of the Home Department not below the rank of the Deputy Superintendent of Police to take action against the persons who violate the standards prescribed in the schedule through the use of loud speaker/sirens/ public address system or other modes of creating noise between 6.00 A.M. to 10.00 P.M. to 6.00 A.M. and to prosecute them under section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986."
Source: kspcb.karnataka.gov.in
How to complain about noise in Bengaluru
- Dial 112 (Namma 112). Bengaluru City Police lists 112 as its emergency number. Its Command Centre, headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, runs a 'Namma 112' unit. No Bengaluru police page found here gives a noise-specific complaint procedure. (bcp.karnataka.gov.in)
- Namma 112 (Command Centre unit). Command Centre page of Bengaluru City Police. (bcp.karnataka.gov.in)
Under Rule 7 a complaint can be made when noise exceeds the zone limit by 10 dB(A) or more, or when a night-time restriction is broken. A reading from the free online decibel meter, taken with A-weighting over a full minute and noted with the time, helps describe the problem. It is an uncalibrated estimate of about ±10 dB, not evidence on its own; the authority measures with a calibrated instrument.
Local orders in Bengaluru
Loudspeakers need written permission and are barred outdoors at night (GO of 2002)
The State's Government Order of 13-8-2002, as quoted by KSPCB, bars loudspeakers and public address systems without written permission from the designated authorities. They may not be used between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. except in closed premises such as auditoria, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls. KSPCB is to help the police with noise monitoring if required. A 2022 addendum (below) lets a committee permit use until midnight on up to fifteen days a year.
"a. A loud speaker or a public address system shall not be used except after obtaining written permission from the designated authorities as mentioned in para 2(1) above. b. A loud speaker or a public address system shall not be used at night (between 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.) except in closed premises for communication within eg., auditoria, conference rooms, community hall and banquet halls."
Source: KSPCB directions No. PCB/NEC/1/2013-14/7908 (quoting GO No. FEE 46 ENV 2000 dated 13-8-2002), 2002-08-13.
Midnight loudspeaker use on up to 15 days a year, by committee permission (2022 addendum)
A December 2022 addendum to the State's loudspeaker circular lets 'the above committee' permit loudspeakers or public address systems from 10 p.m. to 12 midnight on cultural, religious or festive occasions of limited duration, up to fifteen days in all in a calendar year. Permission must still comply with the Noise Rules and the GO of 13.08.2002. No published list of the specific days for 2025 or 2026 was found.
"3A. The above committee may subject to such terms and conditions as are necessary to reduce noise pollution, permit use of loud speakers or public address systems and the like during night hours (between 10.00 p.m. to 12.00 midnight) on or during any cultural, religious or festive occasion of a limited duration not exceeding fifteen days in all during a calendar year. The permission / license so issued shall also comply with the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 and the Government Order dated: 13.08.2002."
Source: Government of Karnataka, Forest, Ecology and Environment Dept., Addendum No. FEE 128 EPC 2022, 2022-12-17.
KSPCB directions for Bangalore: no-honking junctions, night construction ban, seizure of loudspeakers and night borewell rigs
Under Section 31(A) of the Air Act, KSPCB directed the Director General of Police, the Commissioner of Police and the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) for Bangalore to take several steps. They are to act on unnecessary honking at junctions and declare all major traffic junctions no-honking zones. They are to regulate loudspeakers and music systems under the 2002 GO, and seize offending loudspeakers and amplifiers as well as borewell rigs drilling between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. KSPCB also directed the BBMP Commissioner to declare silence zones around Government hospitals and the High Court, and to prohibit sound-emitting construction at night (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) except ongoing metro rail works.
"(d) To prohibit all sound emitting construction equipments/activities except on going metro rail works during the night time (10 PM to 6 AM)."
Source: KSPCB, Directions under Section 31(A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, No. PCB/NEC/1/2013-14/7908, 2014-03-28.
KSPCB, BBMP and Revenue officers also empowered to act (2019 addendum)
A 2019 addendum to the 2002 GO directs officers of KSPCB, BBMP and the Revenue Department not below Deputy Superintendent of Police rank to act against people who breach the noise standards through loudspeakers, sirens, public address systems or other modes of creating noise, and to prosecute them under section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act. KSPCB's Member Secretary, the BBMP Commissioner and the Revenue Department's Principal Secretary are to notify the officers concerned. KSPCB then delegated these powers to its technical officers not below Deputy Environmental Officer rank. The KSPCB memo prints the parent order's number and date inconsistently in two places.
"1(a) Officers of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board(KSPCB), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike(BBMP) and Revenue Department not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police are also directed under section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to take action against the persons who violates the standards prescribed in the Schedule through use of loudspeakers, sirens/public address system or other modes of creating noise between 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM and 10.00 PM to 6.00AM and to prosecute them under section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986."
Source: KSPCB Office Memorandum No. KSPCB 246 CC 2006/2019 (quoting G.O. No. FEE EPC 2018 dated 18.09.2019), 2020-02-03.
Silence zones
KSPCB's 2014 directions told the BBMP Commissioner to declare an area of at least 100 metres around all Government hospitals and the High Court, and other areas as needed, as silence zones. No official notification declaring Bengaluru silence zones, nor any count, was found. KSPCB's continuous monitoring classes two of its stations as silence zones: Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (NIMHANS) and RVCE Mysore Road.
"(a) To declare an area not less than 100 meters around all Government Hospitals in Bangalore and High Court Silence zone and any other areas as deemed necessary for maintain as Silence Zone."
Source: kspcb.karnataka.gov.in
How loud Bengaluru measures
KSPCB publishes monthly data from ten continuous noise monitoring stations in Bengaluru (two of them at CPCB continuous ambient air quality station sites). The most recent month we could read is April 2024, so these are historic figures; newer months may be on KSPCB's site. Day and night Leq against the zone limits, in dB(A): 1 NIMHANS (silence): 45.0/47.5 against 50/40. 2 RVCE Mysore Road (silence): 57.8/52.4 against 50/40. 3 TERI Office Domlur (residential): 60.3/52.5 against 55/45. 4 BTM Layout (residential): 66.5/62.5 against 55/45. 5 KSPCB Nisarga Bhavan S.G. Halli (residential): 60.7/60.7 against 55/45. 6 Parisara Bhavan Church Street (commercial): 65.6/60.7 against 65/55. 7 CPCB CAAQMS BWSSB Kadubisanahalli Marathahalli (commercial): 47.3/44.7 against 65/55. 8 Yeshwanthpur Police Station (commercial): 69.8/62.5 against 65/55. 9 Near ITPL Whitefield (industrial): 68.3/62.7 against 75/70. 10 CPCB CAAQMS Peenya Industrial Area (industrial): 72.4/71.1 against 75/70. In that month the night average exceeded its limit at 8 of the 10 stations and the day average at 6 of 10.
Source: kspcb.karnataka.gov.in
What is the noise limit in Bengaluru at night?
In a residential area, 45 dB(A) Leq from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and 55 dB(A) by day, under the national Schedule that applies in Karnataka. Silence zones are held to 40 at night and 50 by day, commercial areas to 55 and 65, and industrial areas to 70 and 75.
How do I complain about noise in Bengaluru?
Call 112, the number Bengaluru City Police lists for emergencies; its Command Centre runs the Namma 112 unit. We found no separate noise helpline on the police site. A 2002 state order directs the Commissioner of Police and officers of at least Deputy Superintendent rank to act against violations, and a 2019 addendum extends this to officers of the pollution control board, BBMP and the Revenue Department.
Is construction allowed at night in Bengaluru?
KSPCB's 2014 directions told BBMP to prohibit sound-emitting construction equipment and activity from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., except ongoing metro rail works. The national Rules separately bar sound-emitting construction equipment at night in residential areas and silence zones.
More
- India's national noise rules, quoted from the CPCB text
- Noise rules in Delhi
- Noise rules in Mumbai
- Noise rules in Kolkata
- Noise rules in Chennai
- Noise rules in Hyderabad
- Noise rules in Pune
- The noise complaints guide: what to log before you call
Read from official sources on 2026-10-01: the documents linked beside each statement, and the national Rules as published by the Central Pollution Control Board at cpcb.gov.in. A plain-language summary, not legal advice; the Rules, state notifications and court orders control.