Election time is a period where promises fly thick and fast, the unthinkable happens and a whole lot of positivity fills the air. This run-up to the Lok Sabha election is no different. When it rains, it pours, thus goes the saying, as goodies come thick and fast. Close on the heels of an ordinance that gave relief to temporary structures along the coast, came an assurance from the government to amend the law and protect structures built prior to 1991 along the coast and that followed an announcement on relaxation of compliances for events. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has now pledged that there will be a ban on loud music after 10 pm in Anjuna and Vagator, the hubs of late-night parties.
This will be indeed music to the ears of many. Sawant said sound pollution will be tackled with an iron hand with immediate effect. “I don’t want to give false promises. There won’t be any loud music after 10 pm and the Deputy Collector will be directed to enforce the ban. The residents should not suffer because of the sound pollution”, he thundered.
The chief minister must be commended for his decision, and the tone and tenor of his speech explain that residents can look forward to peaceful nights. The CM announcement, however, comes with an iota of disbelief because, in a split second, he shifted the dynamics of a toughened system that no man could silence, not even the courts.
Sawant’s statements bring to the fore two realities. First, there is a forthright admission that sound pollution, which the CM called "menace” was happening. We mention this because all this while, the beat police and the DGP were defending that there were no sound violations along the coast, and late-night parties were only restricted to indoor venues. Second, it is amply clear that a political will can move mountains.
Noise pollution has come a long way with late-night parties and high-decibel music forming a deadly cocktail disrupting the peace along the coastal belt. Lest we forget, the high court has come hard on authorities directing strict enforcement of rules. It has hauled up authorities over failure to ensure compliance and has even monitored the situation periodically. None of that worked as the coastal belt continued to dance to loud music caring less for those who suffered. The pollution control board and the beat police, despite the assurances, failed big time. This newspaper reported stories of how people with medical conditions and senior citizens were traumatised and left helpless as loud music reverberated through the walls of their homes all night long and past the wee hours of the morning. Nobody cared.
Against that backdrop, Sawant’s announcement will bring welcome relief to all those who were distraught, with the only question that would be bothering them now on why the government turned a blind eye to this “menace” all this while. The move is certainly good news for those affected, but then some questions linger: Will the police on the ground and authorities go with the spirit of the CM’s announcement and crack down on all and sundry violating rules? And whether peace will prevail even after the elections when the voter is long forgotten.
