'Purpose Defeated': Kerala High Court Orders Discontinuation Of Kannur Corporation's 60 Year-Old-Siren Installed During Indo-Pak War

The Kerala High Court recently passed a judgment ordering the stoppage of Kannur Corporation's 60-year-old siren, which was installed in 1965 during the Indo-Pakistan war as a civil defence mechanism.The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. was considering a public interest litigation praying to discontinue the operation of the high-intensity siren.Allowing the plea, the Court observed:“The purpose of having the siren has been defeated. Hence, the operation of the siren should be discontinued within a period of one week from the date.”The plea was preferred by a resident of Kannur in public interest litigation so as to safeguard the fundamental rights of the residents of the town, who had been subjected to severe noise pollution caused by the siren, which has long outlived its purpose. The petitioner had stated that the siren is mechanically operated thrice daily, at 6:00 am, 1:00 pm and 6 pm. According to him, the exposure to the loud noise is disrupting peaceful enjoyment of life and causing adverse impact on sleep, physical and mental health.“What was once intended as a wartime precaution has now become a persistent source of public nuisance and environmental degradation. The noise from the siren has transformed a peaceful residential area into a zone of recurring acoustic trauma. The continued operation of the siren, devoid of any present- day public utility, has resulted in the infringement of the fundamental right to live with dignity, health, and tranquility, guaranteed to the residents, including the Petitioner,” the plea had stated.The plea had also brought to the notice of the Court the finding of the Chairman of District Disaster Management Authority and District Collector that the noise emitted at 94.9 dB was a 'disaster posing a threat to public health and safety'. The Collector had then directed the Corporation to bring down the noise level or bring in an alternative system. However, even then no effective action was taken. The petitioner then sought the intervention of the Court.After hearing the parties, the Court found merits in the plea and disposed of the same, directing halting of the siren within a week.Case No: WP(PIL) No. 22 of 2026Case Title: Prasanthan M. v. Kannur Corporation and Ors.Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 116Counsel for the petitioners: K. Anand, Mathews Raju, R.K. JayalakshmiCounsel for the respondents: M. Meena John – Standing Counsel – Kannur Municipal Corporation, T. Naveen – Standing Counsel – Pollution Control BoardClick to Read/Download Judgment

'Purpose Defeated': Kerala High Court Orders Discontinuation Of Kannur Corporation's 60 Year-Old-Siren Installed During Indo-Pak War

K. Salma Jennath

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