Chandigarh, December 13:
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking directives for the Chandigarh Administration to present a comprehensive report on traffic management, crowd control, and public safety arrangements for Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh’s concert scheduled on December 14, 2024, at Sector 34 Exhibition Ground.
The PIL was filed by Chandigarh resident Ranjeet Singh, represented by counsel Davinder Singh, and is set to be heard by the High Court on Friday.
The petitioner highlighted in the plea that a prior concert at the same venue, featuring artist Karan Aujla on December 7, 2024, caused severe disruptions in the area. The petition emphasized that Sector 34 is centrally located in Chandigarh and is adjacent to Sector 32, which houses key medical facilities and emergency services that rely on unobstructed access through Sector 34.
According to the petition, concerts are repeatedly being held at this location. Following Karan Aujla’s performance, Diljit Dosanjh’s event is planned for December 14, with another show by AP Dhillon scheduled for December 21.
“The previous event resulted in significant traffic congestion, impacting students, local businesses, patients requiring urgent care, and emergency services like ambulances. Despite this, no measures have been implemented to prevent a recurrence during the upcoming events,” the petition stated.
The plea further alleged that approximately 30,000 individuals attended Karan Aujla’s concert, with thousands more gathering outside the venue without tickets. Attendance for the Diljit Dosanjh event is expected to be double or triple that number, raising serious concerns about public safety and management.
The petitioner argued that both the authorities and the event organizers have failed to adequately prepare for issues such as traffic management, noise control, and the uninterrupted functioning of emergency services. This negligence, the petition claimed, violates citizens’ fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. The failure to properly manage public events infringes on the right to life and personal liberty (Article 21) by hindering access to emergency services. Additionally, the events allegedly create public nuisances by causing excessive noise, obstructing roads, and disrupting daily activities. The use of high-decibel sound systems and bright lights was also cited as a breach of environmental regulations, including the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
The petitioner noted that a detailed representation was submitted to the Chandigarh Administration on December 11, 2024, but no action has been taken to address the concerns raised. This inaction prompted the petitioner to approach the High Court for relief.
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