Team Herald
ANJUNA: With the posters promoting Sunburn 2020 already out on social media, the residents of Anjuna have objected to the Tourism Department’s decision of holding the event during COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the Anjunkars, who have been suffering due to the loud music, air pollution and garbage and are forced to go through all this every time the festival is organised and have been opposing for the same every time. However, this year due to COVID-19, the locals are more furious with the decision of the Tourism Department.
The villagers claimed when the locals are struggling to recover from the pandemic, the government is supporting activities that will benefit the rich and not the Goans. First the casinos and now the Sunburn.
“For the last nine months, people are struggling to recover from the losses that they have faced due to COVID-19 pandemic. Small time businesses are completely affected and the Goans who were operating these businesses are totally down with losses. Instead of promoting small business run by the locals, the government is encouraging and promoting activates such as casinos and Sunburn which are of no benefit to the locals,” a local, Neha Mandrekar said.
Balbhim Malwankar, another local said, “Restrictions were imposed on the locals due to COVID pandemic. The religious places such as temples and churches are still opened fully for the public. Services such as health centres are being operated by following restrictions but the government is ready to hold Sunburn festival where thousands of people will participate. The government is ready to hold such events by following SOPs but are not ready to give permissions to the local events and celebrations just because it will spread the virus and are ready to welcome the carriers of virus and finish people of Goa.”
Ravi Harmalkar, another resident of Anjuna said, “First the government opened casino which are of no benefit to the locals and now this Sunburn, where thousands of people will come, who are likely to be the carriers of COVID-19 virus. Other countries are trying to control this virus but in Goa this government is inviting the virus. People have already died of drug overdose at Sunburn festival but the tourism minister is more bothered about filling his pocket then lives of people.”
"Such events are of no benefit to the locals rather it’s the locals who suffer because of such events. Last year, we filed a complaint of sound pollution but none of the authority took action. Similarly, when the locals said that they want to let out stalls outside the venue they were denied to do so. This year before the festival starts I'll approach the court and get stay on this event. If this event takes place it would be dangerous to the lives of people since the visitors are likely to be the carriers of virus who will infect lakhs of people," Harmalkar further added.
Michael D’Souza, another local said, “Through this event, the government claims that they want to attract tourists but such events do not attract tourists that we want. Organising such events during the peak season affects the businesses of the locals because such events do not benefit locals.”
Sources said that the Tourism Department on Monday evening submitted SOP to the Collector and the respective departments such as Police, Fire, among others will further examine its feasibility.
It is learnt that the event will not have any box office and passes will be given for all the three days. Areas will be marked inside the venue to ensure social distancing, sanitisers will be made available inside the venue and masks will be made compulsory. The SOP, sources said, has also mentioned how the government agencies and organisers of the EDM will ensure the crowd of party revellers and staff do not cross the “limited capacity”.
The officials are yet to officially release the SOP. The stakeholders in the tourism sector said that while the Sunburn festival will be a boon for the tourism industry, the event should not be a mass spreader of COVID-19.