New Delhi, July 24 -- For several days this week, loudspeakers blared well past midnight, traffic came to a standstill across major stretches of Delhi- all as thousands of saffron-clad kanwariyas made their way through the Capital. But even as calls flooded police helplines, not a single first information report (FIR) was filed by Delhi Police for noise violations or unruly behaviour by the pilgrims since last Friday. As pilgrims exited the city on Wednesday, the traffic chaos was exacerbated by extended showers that triggered waterlogging in critical stretches. In the 24 hours till 8.30am, base weather station Safdarjung logged 14.4mm of rain that, along with the release of 54,707 cusecs of water from Hathinikund barrage, pushed the Yamuna water level another two metres closer to the warning mark of 204.5m. Snarls were reported from areas such as Keshavpuram, Seelampur, Anand Parbat Road and Vinod Nagar. Additionally, there was waterlogging under Zakhira flyover, in parts of Karkadooma and in Saraswati Vihar area of Pitampura, leading to long traffic snarls. The situation was equally bad around New Friends Colony and Maharani Bagh, with knee-deep water accumulating in several low-lying areas. Later in the day, a sense of calm returned as the weather cleared, roads were drained and most Kanwariyas exited Delhi's borders along with their boom-box laded trucks. Earlier, in areas such as Karol Bagh, Civil Lines and Punjabi Bagh, residents said the volume and scale of violations peaked on Tuesday, the eve of Sawan Shivratri. "Noise levels from processions exceeded permissible limits in multiple zones," confirmed an official from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). Still, not one case was filed. The DPCC recorded a spike across residential areas near major kanwar routes. "There was no question of enforcement," the official added. "The readings speak for themselves." On Tuesday, the 16-hour average decibel levels between 6 am and 10 pm were recorded at 87.5 dB(A) at Shahdara, followed by an average of 75.6 dB(A) at the Karni Singh shooting range - an otherwise relatively quiet area. The average at the National Stadium in the heart of the city was at 72.5 decibels, followed by the west Delhi route along Karol Bagh (71.6 decibels) and Pusa (69.6 decibels), the other impacted locations. Doctors say the noise levels during such processions can reach dangerous thresholds. "Music from DJ trucks often hits 100 to 120 decibels. Even short-term exposure to levels above 85 decibels can cause temporary hearing loss or tinnitus. Prolonged exposure can result in permanent damage," said Dr Rushil Puri, ENT consultant at PSRI Hospital. "We see a spike in noise-induced ear complaints after festivals involving such cavalcades." Children, senior citizens and people with existing auditory sensitivity are especially vulnerable. "Loud, sustained exposure can also affect sleep patterns, elevate blood pressure and raise stress hormones," Puri added. From Shahdara in the east to Kirti Nagar and Shivaji College in the west, residents reported a growing sense of helplessness, especially after dark. Loud devotional music, often from boomboxes mounted on trucks, continued well into the night. Public parks, sidewalks and petrol pumps turned into makeshift rest stops for kanwar groups - some of whom were not even carrying the ritual Ganga jal that defines the pilgrimage. Shweta Arora, 39, who works in Gurugram, said the final leg of her commute became nerve-racking. "My shift ends at 9:30pm. Normally, I reach home by 11:30. But over the past few days, I felt uneasy - even with the driver and guard. Huge groups of men loitered on the roads. I kept worrying something might happen." A Delhi Police spokesperson confirmed that over 250 complaints had been received between Friday and Wednesday, but no FIRs were registered against kanwariyas. "The crowd is emotionally charged, and we cannot provoke a situation," a senior officer said. Another officer stationed in south Delhi put it more bluntly: "We've been told not to take action. We can only ask politely. They rarely comply, but our hands are tied." A Civil Lines resident who called the police control room around midnight on Monday about loudspeakers said the response was evasive. "They said someone would check. No one did. The music went on till 2am." The Delhi government, which has in the past been vocal on environmental issues, has maintained silence. "This is now seen as a religious and political event. Any comment is likely to be construed as taking sides," said a bureaucrat....