Vidyanand Bapat
| Vidyanand Bapat | |
|---|---|
 Vidyanand Bapat in 2026.webp | |
| Native name | विद्यानंद बापट |
| Born | Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India |
| 🏫 Education | University of Mumbai |
| 💼 Occupation | BPO professional |
| 📆 Years active | 2026–present |
| Known for | Campaigning against excessive noise pollution |
Vidyanand Bapat is an Indian BPO professional and campaigner against noise pollution based in Pune, Maharashtra. He came to wider public attention in 2026 after campaigning for stricter enforcement of noise-pollution regulations during public festivals, particularly Ganeshotsav celebrations in Pune.[1]
Early life and education
Bapat was born and brought up in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. According to media reports, he later moved to Pune and has lived in the city's Narayan Peth area.[1]
He is a commerce graduate of the University of Mumbai.[2]
A report published in 2026 also said that Bapat had been felicitated as a meritorious student during his school years in Pune. The felicitation was reportedly covered by a newspaper at the time.[3]
Career
Bapat works in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. Hindustan Times reported in August 2026 that he worked largely from home.[2]
Noise-pollution campaign
Bapat became prominent in Pune in 2026 through his campaign concerning noise pollution during public festivals. His campaign focused particularly on the use of DJs, loudspeakers and amplified sound systems during Ganeshotsav.[2]
On 24 August 2026, Bapat attended a Pune Municipal Corporation meeting concerning regulations for the Ganesh festival. He called for restrictions on DJs and other high-volume sound systems that exceeded permissible noise levels. Members of some Ganesh festival organisations opposed the demand, and police escorted Bapat from the meeting after a confrontation.[1]
Bapat subsequently participated in public discussions and media interviews concerning noise pollution in Pune. He argued that existing statutory noise limits should be enforced during festivals as well as on other occasions.[1]
His campaign coincided with a broader public debate about noise levels during Ganeshotsav. A residents' group called the "Ear-Splitting Speaker Free Pune Action Committee" also organised a protest in Pune on 30 August 2026.[1]
Assault
On 3 September 2026, Bapat was assaulted while giving an interview to a television news channel on Tilak Road, Pune. The incident was recorded on camera. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said that the alleged attacker had been arrested and would face cognizable, non-bailable offences.[4]
In a subsequent report, The Indian Express reported that Bapat's complaint alleged that the attacker called him "anti-Ganesh" and "atheist" during the incident. These descriptions are allegations recorded in the first information report rather than independently established findings about Bapat.[5]
Legal notice to authorities
In September 2026, Bapat served a legal notice on senior police, civic and pollution-control authorities seeking stricter enforcement of noise-pollution regulations during Ganeshotsav.[6]
The notice was reportedly sent to the Maharashtra Director General of Police, Pune Police Commissioner, Pune Municipal Commissioner and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. It sought preventive measures and enforcement concerning noise, air and waste pollution and traffic-related issues during the festival.[6]
Bapat's notice referred to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, judicial directions concerning noise pollution, and an August 2024 order of the National Green Tribunal concerning noise during Ganesh festival celebrations in Pune.[6]
Public profile
Bapat's campaign received coverage from several Marathi and English-language news organisations in August and September 2026. The Indian Express reported that he had become associated with the debate over noise pollution during Pune's Ganesh festival, while Hindustan Times described his campaign as a demand for stricter action against excessive noise.[1][2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Shah, Soham (5 September 2026). "How Vidyanand Bapat forced Pune to talk on Ganpati noise pollution". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Vajpeyee, Gayatri (29 August 2026). "Meet the voice fighting Pune's noise pollution". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
- ↑ "विद्यानंद बापट यांचं कौतुक 22 वर्षांपूर्वीही झालेलं, उदय सामंत यांनी केलेला सत्कार, पेपरमध्ये छापलेल्या फोटोचं कात्रण व्हायरल". Maharashtra Times (in मराठी). 21 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
- ↑ Shah, Soham (4 September 2026). "Pune man who ignited noise vs Ganpati festival debate attacked on camera". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
- ↑ "Called anti-Ganesh, atheist; abused while being attacked: Bapat in FIR". The Indian Express. 5 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Inamdar, Nadeem (13 September 2026). "Noise pollution crusader Bapat serves legal notice to top authorities ahead of Ganeshotsav". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
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