AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
BAGA, CALANGUTE: Noise pollution from beach shacks along the Baga creek has been making life difficult for the residents of Xavier Retreat House in Baga, but there has been no respite despite repeated complaints. While the establishment falls within the jurisdiction of the Anjuna Police Station, the noise-making shacks are in the Calangute police station area – and the problem of which police station addresses the issue has left the elderly in a fair bit of
distress.
During a meeting of the North Goa Noise Monitoring Committee (NMC) held on April 4 at the North Goa Collectorate conference hall, the committee directed the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to instruct beach shacks and other commercial establishments to install electronic signboards to monitor sound decibel levels.
On April 1, Fr Joseph Fernandes, Administrator of the Xavier Retreat House, addressed a letter to the North Goa SP, stating: “There is a serious and ongoing issue of noise pollution that is disrupting the peaceful environment of Xavier Retreat House, Baga which qualifies as a religious Institution. The excessive loud music from the shacks near the Baga creek has been severely disturbing our spiritual and social activities.”
The music, according to the complaint, often begins as early as the afternoon and can continue into the early morning hours, violating permissible ambient noise levels. Fr Fernandes also referenced a High Court ruling in case WP/PIL 7 of 2021, dated December 15, 2024, under which repeated complaints to the police via the ERSS No. 112 emergency helpline remain unresolved due to the ongoing jurisdictional dispute between the Anjuna and Calangute police stations.
Attached to the letter were 35 call logs documenting complaints from January 30 to March 31, 2025. Fr Fernandes urged the SP to authorise officers from either police station to register a Zero FIR, regardless of jurisdiction, to ensure prompt action.
Fr Shannon Pereira, Director of the Retreat House, said, “We’ve had to find secluded places within the retreat just to be able to reflect or pray. The noise is relentless from 6 pm to 10 pm, and even afterward, we can hear bass sounds from unidentified sources.”
Fr Pereira recounted a brief period of silence following the April 4 NMC meeting, when members of the Pollution Control Board and the police visited the site. “There was silence during the visit, and we were shocked. But once they left, the loud music resumed. I even contacted the Tourism Police, who acknowledged the noise but claimed that action could only be taken by the SDPO or SP,” he said.
The disturbances are not limited to music. Residents in the area have also reported late-night fireworks. “I get startled awake in the middle of the night by the sound of firecrackers. It’s disturbing,” said local resident Aeldrid Pinto.
Newly appointed resident members of the NMC, Captain Gerald Fernandes (Retd) and Kamlakar Naik, noted that the responsibility for maintaining public peace does not rest with the police alone. They emphasized the roles of the GSPCB, the Excise Department, the Tourism Department, and officials implementing the Goa Shops and Establishments Act.
The minutes from the April 4 meeting also record that the Additional Collector-I directed GSPCB and SDM representatives to ensure that CCTV installation is made a condition for future permissions issued to establishments.