AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
ANJUNA: A very strong people’s movement, which peaked at the Anjuna gram sabha last Sunday appears to have awakened the police with sound levels in the villages of Anjuna and Vagator being greatly contained.
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Only two of the units – Diaz and Noah – being monitored by the High Court kept locals on their toes during the last weekend of November.
“Police Inspector Gauns has gone on a round to check where loud music is being played.” said Anjuna Police Inspector Viraj Naik at 11.30 pm as his staff were testing the Mini Sound level Meter he was to carry with him, before leaving for his round.
For a change, after long, police attached to the Anjuna Police could be seen moving around the two villages till around two in the morning and a few clubs who thought they were above the law, got into the game of hide-and-seek with the law enforcers.
If loud music could not be heard at the entrance of Diaz, villagers a kilometre away were disturbed and complained.
The decibel meter reading outside Diaz fluctuated from 73 to 85 decibel at around 12.30 am.
“I stay a kilometre away and since the place is located at a height, the sound could have travelled. The fact is that despite it being a less quiet Saturday, we were disturbed with the noise from Diaz,” said Jeremy Ferreira from Anjuna when provided with the dB reading recorded.
With Salud and House of Chapora sealed by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) last week, Romeo Lane in Vagator was one of the hotspots where the dB needle swung from 90 to 160 with the crowds enjoying till dawn.
The volume kept increasing and dipping at Ozrant in Vagator along with Noah, though most in the neighbourhood were appreciative that the situation has improved after long.
“It was a much better weekend but we should not take things lying low. I could hear music loud music from Raeeth till two in the morning. They make it low when the police come and increase it after they go,” is how Sharon lobo explains the modus operandi. If people in Vagator were re-discovering the bliss of sleep, some residents from Anjuna were scratching themselves wondering when it would be their turn with one restaurant playing hoot.
“I first complained at six in the evening and my last complaint was at 11 pm. The owners of Purple Martini situated on Survey No 131/13 perhaps think they are bigger than the law or the cops are purchasable,” said an exasperated Avelina Fernandes, who refuses to stop complaining.
Live bands could be heard performing in two places in Vagator and for a change, the music sounded pleasant and a whiff of the village of the past floated in the air.
“The truth is, parties in the past were normally held during the full moon and that too away from human habitation,” said septuagenarian Wayne Pereira, who claims to be a witness of the beginning.
“It is obvious that those who do not respect human values go to any standard to try and defame our collective effort to stop this nuisance. We too benefit from tourism but without making others suffer,” reasons restaurateur Priya Mendonca.
“As a group that has been severely affected, we are not ready to let matters slip anymore. This could be an attempt to try and put us off guard,” said activist Dr Inacio Fernandes from Anjuna.
