the detection, control and prevention of noise pollution, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain from…
(No. B/972) Mr A. Duval (Fourth Member for Port-Louis North & Montagne Longue) asked the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister of Finance, Minister for Rodrigues and Outer Islands whether, in regard to the detection, control and prevention of noise pollution, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain from the Commissioner of Police, information as to the number of – (a) functional noise nuisance recorders currently available within the Mauritius Police Force, indicating the police units and/or stations to which same have been allocated, and (b) contraventions booked for noise nuisance related offences since November 2024 to date.
Reply: I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that detection, control and prevention of noise pollution is governed by the following two regulations – (i) the Environment Protection (Control of Noise) Regulations 2022, and (ii) the Environment Protection (Environmental Standards for Noise) Regulations 2022.
136 Under the Environment Protection (Control of Noise) Regulations 2022, the following factors are taken into consideration for the purpose of determining whether a noise constitutes a nuisance – (a) the intensity of the noise as perceived by the ears; (b) the type of noise emitted; (c) the manner in which the noise is produced, and (d) the protection level of interference. The Police de l’Environnement deals with noise pollution and disturbances associated with loud music from houses, bungalows and villas mainly on the coastal areas and on public beaches. Since these incidents are often one-off and mostly occur at odd hours, the Police handles these complaints for security reasons and prompt interventions. The said regulations provide for a fixed penalty of Rs10,000 for the offence of noise pollution constituting a nuisance. The Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change has been requested to amend the regulations to increase the fine to discourage such nuisances. The Environment Protection (Environmental Standards for Noise) Regulations 2022 provide for 3 categories of noise, namely industrial, neighbourhood and power stations and their respective maximum permissible levels. The level of permissible noise is determined by the use of a ‘Sound Level Metre’ as prescribed in these regulations. In such cases, upon receipt of a complaint pertaining to noise pollution, the Police solicits the services of the Health Engineering Section of the Ministry of Health and Wellness to measure the level of noise. As regards part (a) of the question, I am informed that the Police de l’Environnement is in possession of 2 sound level metres, while the Health Engineering Section of the Ministry of Health and Wellness is in possession of 14 sound level metres. I have already requested the Commissioner of Police to initiate appropriate actions for the procurement of additional sound level metres to better equip the Police de l’Environnement.
137 In regard to part (b) of the question, I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that 1,225 contraventions have been established for noise-related offences from November 2024 to 06 November 2025. NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – COMPOSITION & SELECTION PROCESS