FRIDAY, MAY 03, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Advocate General of Goa, Devidas Pangam, the topmost law officer of the State has “warned” that in case there is a violation of any decibel level, at the forthcoming and controversial EDM festival Sunburn, the committees firmed to check noise pollution will initiate immediate action.
The AG reiterated, “The Sunburn organisers will be given 10 minutes to control the sound pollution if it crosses a particular level. If they do not control the sound level within 10 minutes, then it would be stopped by the officials. This is the strict mechanism provided in the action plan.”
“The government is keen to implement the mechanism. We have told the High Court that we are not going to permit the particular festival on December 31. We have also told the High Court that the event will be permitted only up to 10 pm,” he said.
“There is an action plan in place. It specifies who will be there at the site, who will monitor, what action will be taken and how the (sound monitoring) committee members will coordinate among themselves,” the Advocate General said.
“There will be a sub-committee consisting of a Circle Inspector, a Police Sub-Inspector and an official of the Goa State Pollution Control Board. They will be deployed at three places in the venue. There will be another committee which will be called the central sound monitoring committee which will consist of Additional Collector,” AG Pangam said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has clarified that Sunburn Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival to be held at Vagator from December 28 will not be allowed beyond 10 pm. This was an unnecessary confusion when Environment Minister Alexio Sequeira purportedly stated that the Sunburn organises have been allowed to play till midnight.
However, a video clearly showed Sequeira saying that the mention of midnight relaxation was only meant for general public and not Sunburn.
“As far as Department of Environment is concerned, no permission has been given to Sunburn organisers to hold the event till midnight. As per the Environment Protection Act, there is relaxation for general public for 15 days in a year to have programmes till midnight, which includes December 24-31. But this does not include Sunburn,” Sequeira was seen saying in the video.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant too said the same while speaking reporters at the Mantralaya, Porvorim, putting the matter finally at rest.
Earlier, the State government submitted an action plan before the High Court of Bombay at Goa, mentioning that the event organiser has been provided permission to hold the programmes till 10 pm only.
Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira said earlier in the day, “I can tell you that as far as the Pollution Control Board is concerned, it will ensure that the permitted decibels are not exceeded.” He however admitted being unaware of the specific details of the permit regarding the Sunburn event.
