Shopian, Oct 5: Loudspeaker-fitted auto-rickshaws and other load carriers moving through residential and market areas have become a growing source of noise and inconvenience in south Kashmir. Vendors use them to sell vegetables and other household goods, while some also move around buying windfall apples from growers.
Residents of Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama districts said auto-rickshaws and other load carriers fitted with loudspeakers move from one locality to another, announcing goods for sale or seeking buyers for windfall apples, often generating considerable noise.
According to residents, the problem has become more pronounced with the beginning of the apple harvesting season, when windfall apples are collected and sold in large quantities.
“The auto-rickshaws appear in our locality as early as 6 am to buy windfall apples. The ear-splitting sound from the loudspeakers makes it difficult for residents to sleep,” said Mohammad Saleem, a resident of Shopian.
Abdul Lateef, a resident of Pulwama, said mobile vendors often generate so much noise that residents find it difficult to sit peacefully in their homes.
“Children cannot study peacefully, while sick people and elderly residents also face considerable inconvenience because of the constant noise,” Lateef said.
Similar concerns were raised by residents of Kulgam, who said the use of loudspeakers by mobile vendors has become particularly noticeable during the apple harvesting season.
Mohammad Ramzan, a resident of the Manzgam area of Kulgam, said auto-rickshaws and mobile vans fitted with loudspeakers frequently pass through residential areas.
“The vehicles move from one locality to another with loudspeakers playing at high volume. They are selling vegetables and other items, while some are looking to buy windfall apples. The announcements can be heard across the neighbourhood,” Ramzan said.
Residents said they were not opposed to vendors selling essential goods or buying windfall apples but urged them to keep the loudspeaker volume under control, particularly during early morning and late evening hours.
They said the issue was more disruptive in densely populated areas, where sound from loudspeakers carries across homes and residential lanes.
With apple harvesting underway across major producing areas of south Kashmir, residents said the movement of vehicles buying windfall apples was likely to continue for several weeks.
They urged the authorities to regulate the use of loudspeakers on mobile vending vehicles and ensure vendors do not cause unnecessary disturbance to residents.
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