Hyderabad: Telangana minister for Prohibition and Excise, V Srinivas Goud on Monday announced that from now on pubs and clubs in the city will be prohibited from playing loud music, and that cases will be booked against establishments for violating the new rules. This new move by the stater government has also put music artists across the city in a fix, as it affects their livelihood.
Under the new rules, DJs will be permitted in clubs and pubs, but loud music however will not be welcome. In fact, Goud said that complaints from residents of the same could also lead to establishments getting “noise pollution” will be taken seriously, and may lead to closure if found to be true.
“Pubs playing loud music will be seized and cases will be booked against the offenders,” said Goud in the meeting with pub owners in Hyderabad on Monday.
What exactly does the Prohibition order entail?
The minister discussing the ban clarified that while DJs will not be banned in the city, permissible decibels will have to be maintained. Pubs and clubs have been directed to put up the toll-free number of the excise department where people can file their grievances. “The excise department will not entertain any calls or requests from pub owners, even if they are influential,” Goud stated.
Pub owners will be given 24 hours to explain the noise pollution, based on complaints, following which the pub will be seized, if proven guilty.
Further, the excise department has been directed to carry out inspections from 5 pm today. They have been warned to bookcases with due diligence and ensure that no complaints from business rivals are entertained.
This move was also done to apparently curb the drug menace in the city. The minister has said that the management of pubs/clubs will be given special incentives to ensure law and order by reporting drug use.
Response of the artists:
City artists have been fuming over the state’s order to keep a check on “noise pollution” and drug use by banning all kinds of loud music including live bands in the city.
“It seems like a ridiculous and unreasonable idea. The rule does not solve any purported issue that they claim to resolve. Drugs have nothing to do with music. Trying to control the drug menace in the state, they have curbed musicians which will disturb the thriving arts and culture scene in the city. With their ruling are they trying to say that all music lovers consume drugs?” said a musical artist, Aishan Vali.
“Moreover, it will put over 1000 musicians out of a job. They have been facing difficulties due to the pandemic already and this move will force them to leave the state. It does not impact musicians only but the entire industry,” he added.
Referring to Goud’s statement where he stressed the need to curb noise pollution in residential areas Vali stated, “We are being punished for no fault of ours. The noise pollution in residential areas is not the fault of the artists. The government must regulate the system to ensure that pubs in the area are not given permission and certification to run,”.
Another band of musicians in the city, Kalakaarii, has been a victim of this unwritten rule in the city where shows have scheduled over a month ago have been cancelled at the last minute.
“We were scheduled for two shows one at Grease Monkey and another one at Heart Cup, Kondapur which were cancelled last minute as the owners of the organisations were warned about the ruling,” said one of the band’s vocalists, Joel.
The music industry and culture, in the city, was pretty much stagnant due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As restrictions were withdrawn and things were starting to get back to normal this new ruling has hit artists, leaving them devastated,” he added.
Speaking about the developing arts and culture, in the city, Reggae music artist, Dr. Dub, said, “I had been striving to introduced the Jamaican sound system culture in the city of Hyderabad by developing a first monkey sound system, for the state. But unfortunately, we are being curbed with this new ruling. Music brings together people and cultures which gives the city its own identity and this new rule will adversely affect the artist and the state.”
Event organisers and creative entrepreneurs management organisation, The Tree Huggers club (THC) also narrated their ordeal over the issue. “the arts and culture scene has only been thriving for the past decade. Initially, artists chose to leave the city to move to more happening metros like Bangalore where the art scene was set and stable. Today we see people leaving behind their IT jobs to pursue their passion. Such a ruling will now only harm the state,” said a member of the THC, Supri.
With the residents of Jubilee Hills filing several complaints of noise disturbances and the artists unsure of their creative futures, the issue has currently reached a standstill and it is unclear how long this ruling will last.
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