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Goa pollution body shuts 2 clubs for loud music, sends notice to 4
Residents of Anjuna village, who have been filing complaints against the establishments, have also filed a contempt petition in the high court
PANAJI: The Goa State Pollution Control Board has sealed two establishments and sent notices to four others for loud music parties late in the night along the Anjuna-Vagator coastal belt in north Goa after the high court’s nudge.
The pollution control board, which has launched a drive against hotels and clubs playing loud music coinciding with the start of Goa’s peak tourism season, said in its notice that the establishments were “found violating the permissible noise levels” according to the online noise monitoring system set up by the board on the Bombay high court’s orders.
Residents of Anjuna village, who have been filing complaints against the establishments, have also filed a contempt petition in the high court accusing the authorities of not acting against the restaurants, hotels and other clubs who play loud music late at night. About a dozen establishments in the area are also respondents in this case.
In May last year, the Bombay High Court at Goa, while hearing multiple petitions against constant noise pollution by party venues in Anjuna ordered the Goa police “to ensure that no such music is played outdoors beyond 10pm.” The contempt plea has complained that this order was not being implemented.
At a hearing on November 21, the bench of justices Valmiki Menezes and Nivedita Mehta ordered the pollution control board to set up a link at the Anjuna police station to the live noise monitoring system installed by the board outside clubs within a week. The direction was given at the request of the police, which said it had to write to the pollution control body to seek noise data every time someone complained of loud music.
Clubs and other establishments said they were worried that the increased scrutiny could impact business.
Carlos Fernandes, a restaurant owner said the people of Anjuna were dependent on tourism for their livelihood. “If there is no music, there will be no customers. We are willing to comply with the 10pm deadline but the complainants are threatening to file cases as early as 7-7:30pm for loud music,” Fernandes said.
Dr Inacio Fernandes, who had filed complaints about noise pollution, was attacked at a village council meeting on Sunday, blaming him for going overboard with his campaign. Inacio said he was only interested in tackling the issue of noise pollution.
“My only ask is that we have some sort of balance between the tourism… and the comfort of the villagers. Tourism is the backbone of the village of Anjuna and I understand that as an individual and I’m not here to destroy or curb tourism. Their campaign states that without music, customers would not come to his restaurant. The beauty of Anjuna Vagator is not limited to loud music, it has nothing to do with the people coming to Anjuna and Vagator,” he said.
“I’m hopeful that the village will come to a resolution that will be beneficial to both the villagers and the tourists and the tourism stakeholders,” he added.
Complaints against noise pollution in Anjuna and its hamlets of Vagator and Ozrant are nothing new.
The once-deserted beaches that became popular among backpackers and hippies during the 1970s and 1980s because they were difficult to access now have four dozen restaurants, clubs and party venues that host parties late into the night. Some, according to their promotional posters, begin their parties at 4 in the morning. The high court had spelt out a 10pm deadline for loud music.
