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Noise rules in Hyderabad: the limits, who enforces them, and how to complain

Hyderabad 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. A 2010 state order still in use makes the Commissioner of Police the noise authority and bars loudspeakers, amplifiers and music at night outside closed premises. Complaints go to the police on 100 or 112.

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The limits

The decibel limits are national, set in the Schedule to the Rules; Telangana'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.

Ambient noise standards, Schedule to the Rules (limits in dB(A) Leq)
Area codeCategory of area/zoneDay timeNight 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 Hyderabad

G.O.Ms.No. 172 of 12-10-2010 sets out who implements the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. It was issued by the Environment, Forests, Science & Technology (Env) Department of undivided Andhra Pradesh. In Municipal Corporation areas the Commissioner of Police is the 'Prescribed Authority' that implements the noise standards and Rules; in districts it is the Superintendent of Police. Both may sub-delegate. The same order makes the Director of Town & Country Planning the authority to notify industrial, commercial and residential zones, with silence zones declared by the Town Planning Department. The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB, now TGPCB) lists the order on its Government Orders page, and Hyderabad City Police orders of 2024 and 2025 still apply its noise limits. Those orders cite it inconsistently: the September and October 2024 orders as an order of the 'Govt. of A.P', the January 2025 Sankranthi order as one of the 'Government of Telangana'. No Telangana re-issue of the order was found. The order makes the authority responsible for enforcing noise control measures and compliance with the noise standards, and requires it to act on complaints. In Hyderabad City the Commissioner of Police issues the noise orders listed below.

"The Commissioner of Police in the Municipal Corporations area shall be the Prescribed Authority to implement ambient air quality standards and Rules in respect of noise in the Municipal Corporation areas and similarly, the Superintendent of Police of districts shall be the Prescribed Authorities to implement these standards and Rules, within their jurisdiction."

Source: tspcb.cgg.gov.in

How to complain about noise in Hyderabad

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 Hyderabad

No loudspeakers, music or amplifiers at night except in closed premises (State order, 2010)

G.O.Ms.No. 172 lists these restrictions. A loudspeaker or public address system may not be used without written permission from the authority. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., no loudspeaker, public address system, sound-producing or musical instrument or amplifier may be used. The exceptions are closed premises used for communication within, such as auditoria, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls, and public emergencies.

"A loud speaker or a public address system or any sound producing instrument or a musical instrument or sound amplifier shall not be used at night (between 10.00 p.m. to 06.00 a.m.) except in closed premises for communication within, like auditoria, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls or during a public emergency"

Source: Government of Andhra Pradesh, Environment, Forests, Science & Technology (Env) Department, G.O.Ms.No. 172, 2010-10-12.

Night-time restrictions on horns, construction equipment and firecrackers

The State order notes that night time has been defined as 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and that restrictions have been imposed on horns, sound-emitting construction equipment and the bursting of firecrackers at night time. It does not set separate construction hours for Hyderabad, and no Hyderabad-specific construction-hours order was found.

"restrictions have been imposed on use of horns, sound emitting, construction equipments and bursting of fire crackers in the night time."

Source: Government of Andhra Pradesh, Environment, Forests, Science & Technology (Env) Department, G.O.Ms.No. 172, 2010-10-12.

Music systems on private premises: no more than 5 dB(A) above the standard

The State order says the occupant of a private place must keep the volume of a music system and similar equipment so that the noise does not exceed the limit by more than 5 dB(A). For public places the margin is 10 dB(A).

"the occupant of private place has to restrict the volume of the music system etc., so that the noise emitting from its activity would not exceed the noise limit by more than 5 dB(A) of the prescribed standard."

Source: Government of Andhra Pradesh, Environment, Forests, Science & Technology (Env) Department, G.O.Ms.No. 172, 2010-10-12.

Horns and vehicle audio

The State order tells the Road Transport Authority not to grant or renew a vehicle's registration, or a licence to drive it, unless its horn and engine silencer meet the norms. The RTA must also check that no multi-tone horns, or accessories for audio alarms producing noise beyond permissible limits, are in use. Audio systems inside a vehicle should play at no more than 75 dB(A) at 2 metres from the vehicle. Under the enforcement clause, a vehicle's audio system must not be heard more than 7 metres away. Silent-zone signboards are to carry No-Horn signs.

"The RTA shall also check that no multi-tone horns and accessories for audio alarms / indications producing noise beyond permissible limits, are in use."

Source: Government of Andhra Pradesh, Environment, Forests, Science & Technology (Env) Department, G.O.Ms.No. 172, 2010-10-12.

Silence zones

G.O.Ms.No. 172 defines a silence zone as at least 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions and courts, declared by the Town Planning Department. Its limits are 50 dB(A) by day and 40 dB(A) at night. In silent zones the order bars music and sound amplifiers, beating drums or tom-toms, blowing trumpets or sounding other instruments, crowd-drawing performances, sound-emitting firecrackers, and loudspeakers or public address systems. Municipalities are to put up signboards in Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English, with No-Horn signs. The order says the day and night standards become effective for implementation once silent zones are notified. No notification of specific silence zones in Hyderabad was found.

"Silence zone is defined as an area comprising not less than 100 meters around hospitals, educational institutions and courts. The silence zones are zones, which are declared as such by the competent authority, i.e. Town Planning Department"

Source: tspcb.cgg.gov.in

How loud Hyderabad measures

TSPCB (now TGPCB) has published readings from continuous real-time noise monitoring stations in and around Hyderabad. The latest monthly file found covers January to April 2023. It lists eleven locations, by zone: - Residential: Jubilee Hills, Tarnaka. - Commercial: Abids, JNTU, Paradise, R C Puram. - Industrial: Sanathnagar, Jeedimetla, Gaddapotharam. - Sensitive: Zoo Park, Gachibowli. It notes that data from R C Puram has not been available since January 2019, and Paradise has no figure for February or April. April 2023 values, day/night Leq in dB(A) against the limits: - Jubilee Hills: 65.27/70.14 (limits 55/45). - Tarnaka: 63.59/58.45 (55/45). - Abids: 55.20/49.49 (65/55). - JNTU: 72.58/71.46 (65/55). - Sanathnagar: 64.85/62.33 (75/70). - Jeedimetla: 56.73/50.05 (75/70). - Gaddapotharam: 66.28/63.08 (75/70). - Zoo Park: 52.64/56.78 (50/40). - Gachibowli: 64.20/64.53 (50/40).

Source: tspcb.cgg.gov.in

What is the noise limit in Hyderabad 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 Hyderabad. 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 Hyderabad?

Call the police on 100 or 112, or the Hyderabad City Police main control room on the numbers its website lists. Under the 2010 state order, anyone may complain to the authority, the Commissioner of Police in municipal corporation areas, when noise is 10 dB(A) or more over the area's limit, and the authority must act. The state pollution board's FAQ treats noise nuisance as a matter for the police and the local body.

Are loudspeakers allowed at night in Hyderabad?

Not in the open. The 2010 state order bars loudspeakers, public address systems, musical instruments and amplifiers from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., except in closed premises such as auditoria, community halls and banquet halls, and in public emergencies. Loudspeakers need written permission at any hour, and a music system on private premises must stay within 5 dB(A) of the area's limit.

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Read from official sources on 2026-10-02: 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.