Basuri desai
ANJUNA: Once tranquil coastal havens, the villages of Anjuna and Vagator are now grappling with relentless club music that residents say has robbed them of their peace, leaving them sleepless, stressed and desperate for action.
For 67-year-old Loretta D’Souza, whose home stands opposite the football ground in Vagator, serenity is now a distant memory. “We stay in hotels whenever we come down from Mumbai to our village because of noise. It was once very peaceful,” she says.
“Please help. I really want to settle down in Vagator. I have to run away because of noise. I don’t want to stay at a relative’s place,” she pleads.
Loretta now lives in Mumbai with her siblings, all over 60. “I want the Chief Minister or someone to come and stay at my residence during the loud music parties hosted by the nightclubs nearby to understand the situation. I am ready to offer them five days stay in our ancestral house,” she says.
Younger villagers too are feeling the strain. Stacie D’Souza, a student from Anjuna, says the blaring music disrupts her studies. “Even before major examinations, I had to study with loud music being played with no restrictions. Aren’t the officials going to do something about it?” she asks. “There is no need to stop parties, just lower the volume. Keep it at a comfortable limit. If this demand is met, we can live in harmony. We need our peace.”
Noise complaints are not new. Candlelight marches, petitions, and repeated appeals to authorities over the years point to a persistent problem. Despite Goa State Pollution Control Board interventions and court directives, enforcement remains inconsistent, leaving locals frustrated.
From senior citizens like Loretta, longing to enjoy their homes in peace, to students like Stacie, seeking a quiet space to study, the message is the same: music is welcome, but not at the expense of community life.
As the Independence Day long weekend gets underway, residents brace for worse. Several high-profile parties began yesterday, with noted venues hosting extended celebrations and music stretching late into the night. Locals fear the surge in visitors will further disrupt their lives, making their calls for strict noise regulation more urgent than ever.