The Sri Lanka Police have issued a new set of guidelines on the use of loud equipment, including loudspeakers.
Accordingly, the police emphasize that steps will be taken to ban the relevant equipment if the instructions and warnings given by police officers are ignored and excessive noise is spread.
The police point out that these loud equipment should not be used in a way that disrupts the peaceful life of the public and should only be used within the legal framework. The guidelines issued by the police state that small children, school students, the elderly and patients are subject to severe health and mental distress due to excessive noise pollution.
According to the order of the Supreme Court Case No. 38/2005, the use of loudspeakers in a manner that causes distress to the public can be considered a “public nuisance” under Section 261 of the Penal Code and the law can be enforced.
Generally, the use of loudspeakers for advertising purposes is completely prohibited between 10 pm and 6 am. However, legal permission can be obtained for special religious ceremonies and other special cultural or public programs. In cases where such permission is obtained from the police:
The use of loudspeakers is permitted from Monday to Thursday until 10 pm, Friday and Saturday until 1.00 am and Sunday until 12.30 midnight.
However, the police remind that the granting of these time limits does not constitute an automatic right to raise the volume excessively. Even with a special permission, the noise emitted must be limited to the relevant premises and must not cause a nuisance to neighbors.
Steps have been taken to deploy police officers to monitor whether the conditions given are being properly met. If a public complaint is received regarding noise pollution and the officers conclude that the noise is a public nuisance, the relevant parties will be ordered to immediately control the noise. If there is any violation, the police will take the sound equipment into custody and take legal action, the police say.
The public is requested to report any information about illegal or excessive noise to the nearest police station or to the police on the emergency number 118 / 119.