FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Even as posters of trance and rave parties audaciously pop up, with the police turning a blind eye, the Chairman of the Goa Pollution Control Board Mahesh Patil has his task cut out. But he means business.
In the weekly point Counterpoint discussion on Herald TV, he said that the Noise Act empowers the police and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) to take action. However, the GSPCB has an equally important by providing technical assistance in such cases.
“It is not a nature-made problem, it is manmade and hence it needs to be controlled. As I represent the GSPCB, which is a technical body, we are mandated to take certain measures under Environment Protection Act”, he said.
Placing his finger in the heart of the issue, he said that the menace of loud parties and music without required permissions and in violation of the Noise act needs to be tackled with the combined efforts of the Pollution Control Board, Deputy Collector, Police, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
“We have prepared an action plan and hope that with a joint action plan and combined efforts of all agencies, we would be able to curb this menace, if not eliminate it totally,” the GSPCB chairman said.
A slew of PILs has given hope of greater judicial control over noise pollution violations
Regarding the Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa, Adv Nigel da Costa Frias, the Counsel for Sound Pollution PILs, said that there are right now a couple of PIL writ petitions, with regard to playing of loud music in the establishments mainly in the Anjuna-Vagator area.
“This is the belt from where maximum complaints come due to the Electronic Dance Music (EDMS) events, parties, etc, which start at 6 pm and go on till 6 am the next day. So, there are a number of orders passed by the High Court.”
“One order lays down various actions to be taken by the government agencies, like police patrolling, surprise checks by the Noise Pollution Monitoring Committee formed by the State government, registers to be maintained and complaints to be noted and the action taken reports are supposed to be submitted by the District Magistrate,” Frias said.
Despite all this, complaints regarding noise pollution continue to pour in, seeking action against the offenders.
“Now, a contempt petition has been filed in the High Court. Most importantly, the government has come up with an action plan, following the directions of the National Green Tribunal. Now, this action plan is good because it will make the judgments of HC and the Green Tribunal more effective,” he said.
