Diwali Celebrations in Mumbai Spark Outrage Over Excessive Noise

In the early hours of October 22nd, 2025, Mumbai residents were subjected to a night of excessive noise and chaos as Diwali celebrations spiraled out of control. Loud firecrackers reverberated across the city and its outskirts well past the permissible deadline of midnight, with no intervention from the police to reduce their intensity or duration.

The situation was particularly dire in neighborhoods like Bandra, Andheri, Borivli, Powai, and Mulund, where bomb-like explosions continued until 3 AM. Residents reported being unable to sleep due to the deafening, startling noise that filtered through even with windows shut. The air was thick with smoke, and some even witnessed a stray cracker strike a man, partially deafening him.

The disregard for noise pollution norms was not limited to residential areas. In Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan, the sanctity of designated silence zones was also violated, with morning joggers having to clear cracker wrappers from the roads. Authorities from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board claimed the fireworks were within permissible noise limits, but the sheer scale and duration of the celebrations told a different story.