Sri Lanka Police have issued fresh instructions on the use of loudspeakers, amplifiers and other sound equipment, warning that equipment could be seized if users continue to cause excessive noise despite police warnings.
Police said sound equipment must be used in accordance with the law and in a manner that does not disturb nearby residents or interfere with the peaceful lives of the public.
According to Police, excessive noise pollution has become a serious health and psychological concern, particularly for infants, schoolchildren, elderly people and patients.
Under directions stemming from Supreme Court case No. 38/2005, the use of amplifiers or loudspeakers in a manner that causes annoyance to the public can be treated as a public nuisance under Section 261 of the Penal Code.
Police said loudspeaker use is generally not permitted between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., although permission may be granted in accordance with the law for special religious functions and other special events.
Where police permission has been obtained, loudspeakers may be used until 10 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 12:30 a.m. on Sundays.
However, Police stressed that these time limits do not provide an automatic right to generate excessive noise. Even with permission, sound must be restricted to the relevant premises and should not cause a nuisance to surrounding residents.
Police officers will be deployed to monitor compliance with conditions when permission is granted.
If a complaint is received and officers determine that the noise amounts to a nuisance, those responsible will be ordered to stop it immediately. Police warned that if excessive noise continues despite such instructions, the sound equipment could be seized and further legal action taken.
The public has been urged to report illegal or excessive noise to the nearest police station or through the emergency hotlines 118 or 119. (Newswire)
