PANAJI
As many as 30 noise pollution hotspots are identified across the coastal belt of Goa. The State government-appointed central agencies, in their draft report, has said that these locations have got noise values above 75 decibel (db) level and in some cases like Calangute-Baga, it crosses 100 decibel, especially during the night.
The report ‘Noise Mapping, Identification of Hot Spots and Mitigation Plan for Control of Noise Pollution for Goa State’ prepared by Envirotech Instruments Pvt Ltd and CSIR-Central Road Research Institute has been submitted to the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) for public consultation and implementation.
Based on the ambient noise data 2023, the agencies have identified the hotspot locations in the coastal areas that include Calangute and Baga beaches, Chicalim Junction, Crocodile rock, Sinquerim beach, Panjim Promenade, Morjim beach, Vadem bus stop, Varunapuri, Verem market, Saxony Beach cottages and restaurant, Ashvem beach, Candolim beach, Fort Aguada road, Anjuna beach, Arambol beach, Siolim bus stop, Siolim beach road, Miramar, Agarwada-Morjim, Goa surf school, IOC Junction, Sada-Vasco, Mandrem beach, Goa Velha bypass, Dabolim airport, Cortalim bridge and Dona Paula.
The decibel levels along these areas vary from 79 db to 115 db during the night.
The agencies have recommended installation of transparent noise barriers along a five kilometer coastal stretch covering four beaches --Calangute, Baga, Ashvem and Arambol -- to mitigate sound disturbances as at night the sound level along these beaches exceed permissible limit.
According to the report, there is no need for noise barriers at Miramar, Candolim, Anjuna and Sinquerim beaches, as the residential areas are located at a considerable distance from these locations. The separation minimizes the impact of any beach-related noise on nearby communities, making additional noise control measures unnecessary.
The Agencies have recommended that the workers in noisy beach areas may use earplugs to reduce prolonged exposure to high noise levels.
The agencies have also proposed that the music systems at popular tourist beaches could have an automatic shutdown mechanism that deactivates the system when noise levels exceed 90 dB(A). This could help manage noise levels, which can significantly vary and impact both health and wildlife.
It said that for beaches near residential areas, noise barriers could be installed along the boundary between the sea and residential zones to help prevent noise intrusion into these areas.
“Enforcing night-time noise regulations on beaches with high tourist influx between specific hours could help in adhering to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, reducing noise pollution during peak times,” it added.
