AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
Despite the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) revoking Hill Top’s consent to operate and issuing sealing orders on Wednesday, February 4, 2025, more than a thousand people danced to loud music at the venue on Thursday, ap parently unaware of the pro hibitory order. The party, which began around noon, had swelled to over 3,000 people by 4.30 pm. To the surprise of many, the sound volume was re duced soon after. By 6.30 pm, the music stopped entirely, triggering whispers that the police had intervened due to sound-related violations. As the news spread through the village, it was met with visible relief among residents. “They (Hill Top) have been blast ing music for years believing they can buy their way through. Despite numerous complaints, authorities tended to look the other way. The police station is next to them and yet the police pretend not to hear anything,” said Ana Fernandes, who has long been crusading against loud music in the village. Thousands had arrived for the annual Hill Top Festival, scheduled to run from February 5 to 8, 2026. Many were shocked to learn that despite having received a sealing notice a day before the festival, the organisers allegedly attempted to keep the information from the public. With ticket prices ranging from ₹3,999 to ₹5,999, several attendees felt cheated after being informed that the party had to stop at 6.30 pm, though they were told it would resume the next day. The GSPCB had, on Febru ary 3, ordered another restau rant, Salud, to be sealed for two months. Hill Top received similar orders a day later, leaving enforce ment authorities with little time to act. “We did send the orders to the Collector in the morning. It is for them to enforce the orders. We are not authorised to seal any place. The Collector has to initiate the process and it needs to be imple mented by the police,” said Nilesh Parsekar, head of the GSPCB Noise Monitoring Cell.
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Only by Thursday evening did the Deputy Collector of North Goa issue an order to the Anjuna police revoking the sound permission granted to Hill Top on January 16, 2026. According to officials, the Collector’s office was not in re ceipt of the GSPCB order until it was specifically sought around 2.30 pm. “I got a call from the Collector inquiring about the GSPCB letter. As I was unaware of any order, I called up the chair man and secretary of the GSPCB. Since both did not attend to my calls, I informed my superior,” said North Goa Deputy Collector Varsha Parab. “Since my office was not in receipt of any order from GSPCB, I called and asked them to WhatsApp the orders to me and have forwarded them to the Deputy Collector for action and compliance report,” said Ankit Yadav, North Goa Collector. Following instructions from the Collector, Deputy Col lector Parab sent two memorandums to the Mamlatdar of Bardez, directing him “to seal the premises on a priority basis and submit the compliance.” By sunset, neither premises appeared to be sealed. While Salud remained closed, crowds outside Hill Top continued to grow, with some already inside hoping the music would resume and others arriving unaware of the situation. “We have been told the party has been shifted to a place in South Anjuna where there will be music all night, and to return here tomorrow as by then they would have sorted out the sound problem,” said Dicka, who claimed she was from Israel. As the crowds eventually dispersed—many unhappy that the truth had been concealed from them, others reas sured that the party would continue the next day—efforts to contact Anant Malik, Mamlatdar of Bardez, proved futile till the time of going to press. “At last, the police seem to have acted. Like good things, bad things come to an end some day, and we hope people understand what it is to respect others,” said a local resi dent, speaking on condition of anonymity.
