The North coastal belt, Goa’s 'party zone', stretching from Baga-Anjuna to Morjim and Arambol, is a hotbed of contradictions. While residents face obvious hardships of sleepless nights and lost peace, a more insidious issue festers - the blatant double standards in noise rule enforcement. Goan musicians are stifled, forced to wrap up performances at weddings and family celebrations by 10 pm, sacrificing income and creativity, despite adhering to regulations. Meanwhile, foreign DJs catering to tourists are granted immunity, playing into wee hours without permits or restrictions. This disparity raises a critical question: Are we perpetuating a system that prioritises illegal activities over local talent, allowing outsiders to thrive while our own people are marginalised?
Vagator resident Janie Crasto, who has long been crusading for an end to the noise pollutants in her locality, agrees. Elaborating on her situation, Crasto says, “We don’t get sleep at night. The noise pollution is particularly challenging for my son, who suffers from seizures and autism. He needs a quiet environment to sleep and recover from his seizure attacks, but the constant clanging and banging from the nearby clubs and hotels make it difficult for him to get the rest he needs. In fact, there are three clubs just behind my house, which are less than a kilometre away. The noise from these clubs is relentless, and it's affecting my son's ability to concentrate and learn. We are unable to reach school in time. His doctors have also recommended that he avoid this kind of environment,”
says Crasto, who has written numerous letters to the Goa Pollution
Control Board.
Crasto stresses that addressing the noise pollution isn’t just a matter of convenience, but one of life and death. “It's heartbreaking to think that three people from a family that lives close to a hostel that hosts loud parties, have passed away due to lack of rest. They were already suffering from illnesses, but the constant noise deprivation took a devastating toll on their health,” she says.
The police's approach to addressing noise pollution in Anjuna and Vagator is another confusing issue - they seem to be saying that they can't take action unless they receive complaints, but the issue is plain to see. The area has become a law unto itself, with illegal clubs operating with impunity. Is the police handicapped, or under political pressure to not carry out their duties without a complaint?
“As a former Sub-Divisional Police Officer in Mapusa, I recall regular checks and raids on noisy clubs, especially on weekends. All coastal police stations were given decibel metres; we used to book cases and seize equipment. However, over the past decade, this enforcement seems to have died down,” admits retired police officer Bossuet Silva.
Silva says when he was promoted to the headquarters as Superintendent of police, noise pollution complaints sent to the Director General of Police would be referred to the SPs, and then trickle down to the DySPs and then the respective police station in-charges. “The policemen would go visit these nightclubs and return saying they found no evidence of noise pollution. We had to rely on these reports and file affidavits before the High Court on this matter. I was not in the field, so I cannot comment on it,” he adds.
Anjuna resident Cirilo De Souza harks back to 2012-2013, when he, along with around 20 families who were affected by the constant assault on their senses due to music playing late into the night, filed a PIL in the High Court. “We fought for nearly two years but faced resistance from the police; they submitted reports claiming that they had visited the nightclubs and found nothing, but we knew that wasn't true,” says De Souza. The group however managed to get two or three small victories, managing to get two nightclubs shut down after agitating with a few friends.
Fast-forward to today, and the situation is vastly different. The sheer scale of the problem is staggering, says De Souza. “Outsiders from Delhi and Mumbai have joined forces with local players, using their influence to bulldoze their way through. It's no longer just a local issue; it's a much larger problem,” he laments.
Around Independence Day this year, traditionally considered a ‘long weekend’ that witnesses thousands of tourists flocking to Goa, social media adverts for dozens of ‘trance parties’ were doing the rounds here. Over 23 parties, with multiple DJs performing at each event, were being promoted despite a High Court mandate prohibiting loud music after 10 pm, especially for outdoor events. The parties openly flouted this rule, with some advertising start times as late as midnight or even 4 am.
For example, the 'Sunrise Cardio Edition 3' party proudly stated that it starts at 4 am with dozens of DJ’s with pseudonyms like Beat Inspector, Jakati, Danto, Jun, POS, SW, and others. Many of these DJ’s are foreigners, which raises another question – are they entering the country on tourist visas or have obtained the necessary work permits to perform at these parties? Are they paying any licence fees or entertainment taxes? A Goan organiser would be required to pay these taxes, so why are these foreign DJs exempt?
Morjim resident Mayur Shetgaonkar opines that the DJs coming to Goa are also unaware of the noise regulations, and the police seem to be ineffective in enforcing the rules.
“The Goa State Pollution Control Board has granted permissions, but fails to monitor noise pollution in these areas,” rues Shetgaonkar.
“For instance, in our area of Morjim, which spans over 40 lakh square metres, just a single noise monitoring station has been set up. Moreover, this station is located near a hotel that has already been shut down. Similarly, in Anjuna, the monitoring station is placed near the police station, away from the actual source of noise pollution,” he explains.
“It appears that the government is aware of these loopholes and is deliberately placing monitoring stations in areas where noise pollution is less likely to be detected. This makes it difficult to gather evidence. Furthermore, the police and system are also complicit in this issue. When complaints are filed at the police station, the information is often leaked to the perpetrators, allowing them to stop the noise pollution before the police arrive. By the time the police reach the location, the noise has already stopped, and the report claims that no noise pollution was found,” alleges Shetganokar, adding that this makes it pointless to complain to the police or call the emergency numbers.
Shetgaonkar, who has petitioned the High Court against noisy nightclubs and beach shacks, says he made 26 complaint calls to the police, but only one report of noise pollution was filed by the police. “The Goa State Pollution Control Board has recently passed a notification stating that they will no longer be involved in noise monitoring. Instead, the responsibility has been transferred to the Deputy Collector and the police station. However, the Deputy Collector is claiming that they don't have the equipment to measure noise pollution, which is the responsibility of the Goa State Pollution Control Board. Now, it seems like these authorities are simply passing the buck,” he says.
"I believe it's the Deputy Collector who issues sound permissions based on a report from the Pollution Control Board. The police can't monitor every restaurant, and that's where the problem lies,” explains Bossuet Silva.
“In the coastal region, there's a notification and code order in place to protect turtle nesting sites. The rule states that noise levels cannot exceed 55 decibels, which is equivalent to a normal conversation between two people. However, despite this rule, some restaurants in the area are still causing noise pollution, disrupting the turtle nesting sites,” says Shetgaonkar.
“Permissions for these restaurants were granted, despite our complaints to the Deputy Collector. There are pending cases before the Deputy Collector regarding this issue. When the police do visit the sites, they report the noise pollution to the authorities and stop the music temporarily. However, there needs to be a more permanent solution to ensure that no noise pollution occurs in these sensitive areas."
Meanwhile, the High Court’s directions and observations on the noise pollution issue have been flouted with impunity. The court emphasised the need for a real-time noise monitoring system and also a report on how many outlets in Anjuna actually had the licence to operate. None of these directions were fulfilled.
Political analyst Trajano D’Mello remarks, "The Court's orders seem to hold no sanctity for law enforcing agencies. It's like asking a businessperson to pay taxes, but in this case, it's a "sideway tax" that's being paid to the law enforcing agencies. This whole system is ‘handled’, and when we focus on the sound pollution, we need to look at what's behind it - a drug cartel.”
D’Mello says a normal, sober person can't really listen to this particular kind of music, unless they're in a state of altered consciousness. “The drug cartel is powerful in Goa, and it's entrenched itself so much over the past decade. I filed a PIL against EDM (Electronic Dance Music) events, where law enforcing agencies were granting permissions without ensuring that dues were paid. What's the explanation for this? This means that from top to bottom, everybody is compromised. Sound pollution is just a part of the whole issue. What's attracting the sound is the drug cartel, and that's what needs to be addressed,” he says.
Silva adds that the High Court could have initiated contempt proceedings against the officials responsible for the noise pollution. Instead, they made references to earlier orders, which is not enough. “Contempt proceedings have been initiated in other matters, but in this case, the reports are slow. The parties involved, including police inspectors, deputy collectors, revenue officials, and others, should be held accountable. In contempt petitions, the officials can even land in jail,” he says.
When it comes to noise pollution rules, lately, it seems like the entire script revolves around the indoor-outdoor game. Many outdoor places are applying for indoor party permits; they're putting up temporary sheds or structures to make it seem like they're indoor, but everything happens outside.
“As a resident of Anjuna, I haven't seen many places with proper indoor facilities. The music and drugs are part of the outdoor atmosphere, and indoor parties aren't possible,” says Cirilo
De Souza.
Janie Crasto stresses the need to talk about places built in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) or the No-development Zone (NDZ), where building permanent structures is illegal. “To have an indoor area, you need a proper structure that's soundproof. But
these structures are often within the CRZ, which is destroying nature,” she points out.
“To get a license, you need to ensure the establishment is legal first. And then there's the monitoring system, which can be hacked. It's not just about indoor and outdoor; it's about the whole system being stuck,” she adds. “When we tell the police to confiscate their amplifiers and sound systems, they give excuses and don't take action.”
The fact that the police top brass and officials like the Collector claim to be unaware of the spread of events on offer during an auspicious weekend like Independence Day, ticketed events that are advertising their late-night parties widely on social media is strange. “Isn’t it their job to be aware of these events and take the necessary action,” asks De Souza. “Discussing the pollution control board, police, and other authorities feels like a waste of time now. What is the Home Department doing? The Chief Minister (CM) is in charge of the Home Department. What is he doing about this issue? He is the one person who can control all this and bring everything to a standstill. Why won't he interfere and close everything down? In the past, (Manohar) Parrikar (former CM) took action, so why can't Mr Sawant do the same?” De Souza adds.
D'Mello countered that Parrikar had not really brought about change, and read a note penned by the late CM, “Sunburn has been a big headache due to complaints of drugs, smoking, traffic jams, and allegations of kickbacks for free tickets. Unless these issues are sorted out, all such festivals need
a relook.”
“This was discussed in September 2014, but in December, he granted Sunburn permission,” he pointed out.
According to Shetgaonkar, to address the issue, three key points need to be considered: “The licence should be checked to clarify if the structure is legal or illegal. The local panchayat should be involved, and they should be given the necessary powers and handheld instruments, which is not happening currently. The committee selected to address the issue should be provided with noise monitoring instruments, and there should be continuous patrolling along the coastal line, not just when emergency numbers are dialled. The authorities should be proactive and not wait for complaints to come to them,” says Mayur Shetgaonkar.