What are the laws concerning noise pollution in Mauritius?
My neighbour constantly plays loud music during the day and this is becoming really annoying. What are the laws and what should I do ?
10 Replies
There are many laws in this country but they are not implemented in real life. I would advise you to go and talk to the neighbour first (if you're still on good terms with them) and ask them if it would be possible to keep the music down. The idea here is that you're not telling them off but rather requesting them to decrease the volume and in most cases diplomacy wins. If you are rude to them or threaten them, chances are they will make more noise just to irritate you more.
You will have to talk to them every time they play music loud until they get the message. This is really hard work but the psychology behind this does work. I remember watching a movie where a man living in a flat was really annoyed that every time his neighbour from the flat above passed by his apartment, he would spit on his wall. The man tried everything and they all failed except one; he would take out a bucket and mop and clean up the mess every time the neighbour spat on his wall. One day (yes, it takes a lot of patience!), the neighbour apologised (guilt striken) and he never did it again.
Getting the police involved in the first instance will create an enmity between your family and the neighbour's. So try to resolve it amicably first and if that doesn't work, then you will have to get the police in when they are playing the music loud. Recording won't be good enough proof here and as you need to show that the music was exceeding a certain decibel for that time of the day.
Good luck.
I don't agree with the answer. It is as if is transferring his responsibility on to others. The police has to intervene and doesn't have to mention that the neighbour is complaining. If the music is loud it is affecting the whole area. Why cant the police go first? Going to talk to the neighbour the person will take the responsibility of the area and will create enmity. It might degenerate into a fight and the person is exposing himself in the name of the area.
The Police represent the laws as such cannot ask civilian to be patient and do his jobs. Do u think a woman will b able to face les tetes brulées playing loud music and we all know what kind of people who play blasting music. In the first place these playing devices causing nuisance should be sold to public or with an allowed decibels
Welcome back.
Phone the Environmental Police on: 210 5151, 210 5252
A tip: Record the 'scene' on your mobile phone else your neighbour will deny everything.
The law tells you:
Neighbourhood Noise
07:00---18:00 hrs --- 60 dB
18:00---21:00 hrs --- 55 dB
21:00---07:00 hrs --- 50 dB
mine is the same problem. My neighbour plays VERY VERY loud music. He often starts at 5 pm till 2 at night. IMAGINE. Despite all my doors and windows being kept closed,we can't sleep. Me and my husband, we work. Am an educator,when i come back home i want to take some rest but the loud music prevents me from doing so. My husband works in a bank,his job is very stressful already and he comes back home dead tired. Moreover he's doing part time studies. So he has to study at night but he can't. we invest in studies bt can't study because my neighbour wants music for himself..i understand he wants music but he should't disturb us. We talked to him politely a year back,he continued with his loud music. After that we started calling at the police station at night,it was not so easy to make the police officers come on a complaint,but we stood firm and insisted that they HAVE to come,because it's their job. After that they came many times,a big thanks to them for this. But unfortunately my neighbour doesn't even care. So we registered a complaint at Police de l'environnement, they came and talked to him yesterday,in vain. He's doing it even more now. I am on school holidays since start of November,but there isn't a single day where i couldn't stay in my home peacefully. Its damn hot, but i have to keep all doors and windows closed because of disturbing music. Even after closing them all, the music is so loud that I CAN'T EVEN TALK ON THE PHONE WELL,I CAN'T WATCH TV AT ALL,BECAUSE I CAN'T HEAR WELL. We have tried everything,in vain. We requested the police to keep things anonymous because he's a very dangerous person,We live in fear whenever we complain. We eevn thought of selling our house because of this, but then its not a solution. We have worked very hard to make a house,this house,our home is our world. Because we made in in very tough situations, and now when it's time to live happily in it,we are not able to. We NEED HELP. We are law abiding citizens of our country,of our society,so doesn't it become our laws' duty to protect us,to give us a good life,so we can continue being respectful to these laws. Are these law-breaking people going to continue to dominate on us like this? WE REALLY NEED HELP.i don't expect much,just some peace,is it an unjust demand??
I can understand the frustration you're going through but if the police are not able to do anything, then you don't have much choice. In Mauritius you either need to have the right contacts or resort to thug like behaviour to get things done.
well,first of all..
as you are the sole witness in this case...
go and make a declaration of 'playing music in a loud tone' at the nearest police station to you.
playing music in a loud tone differs from people to people..
the tone your neighbour is playing music disturbing you may not necessarily disturb someone else..
as a matter of fact,your witness is obligatory and the declaration and your statement will be a proof in the court.
as police are concern..the police de l'environnement do not have any apparatus in their possession to measure the DB of the music..
its only the health officers that bear this right to measure the music level..
hope this has help you..
thank you
Yes, sad but true.
The governement is SOOO LAZY.
Laws are just written down and there is much acting in the parliament on laws with the clown MP's we have.
For example , noise, air and water pollution are getting worser and worser and they have become a serious concern but the government won't act !
The buses, lorries and other vehicles emit dark cancer causing fumes, the rivers are littered with dirt, plastics, motor fuels and engines !
Cars and lorries imported from india have horns which are beyond sound limits.
Mauritius is very very dirty. Tourists realise this when they come here !
I don't know where are Navin's eyes ??? He is such a disgrace to Mauritius as well as the other politicians !
Similar topics for you
Ask the Mauritians
Sharing local knowledge to make information more accessible to Mauritians, expats and tourists
Become Member