MAPUSA
Residents of Anjuna have long grappled with the incessant blare of loud music, particularly along the coastal belt, even in defiance of Supreme Court orders on noise pollution.
Despite regulations prohibiting amplified sound between 10 pm to 6 am, hotels and party venues along the coastline persist in blasting loud music into the night, seemingly heedless of legal directives.
In response to this ongoing nuisance, a determined group of activists and citizens in the coastal village took matters into their own hands.
Instead of relying on sporadic individual complaints to the police, they banded together to form a ‘Noise Pollution’ WhatsApp group comprising around 30 committed members.
This collective effort is aimed to exert pressure on authorities and hold defaulters accountable.
The modus operandi was straightforward: affected residents would report instances of late-night parties in the WhatsApp group, rallying members to gather outside the venue and demand compliance with noise regulations.
This concerted action bore fruit when local residents successfully pressured the Anjuna Police into seizing the sound equipment of Diaz, a popular venue in the area.
A resident of Anjuna, Dr Inacio Fernandes highlighted the significance of solidarity in effecting the change.
“One of the major hurdles is to get people together. People are scared because there can be repercussions. But that is changing slowly. Now, people know that they are not alone and there are people who will support them,” Dr Fernandes said.
He recounted how a relatively small group of 10 to 12 members managed to halt the music at Diaz and compel police intervention in the early hours of Thursday last week.
“We are not asking them to halt their business,” Dr Fernandes emphasized, “but rather to respect the peace and well-being of the surrounding community by adhering to noise regulations.”
Jawish Moniz, a resident of Vagator, echoed Dr Fernandes’ sentiments, noting the tangible impact of the citizens’ pressure group on the coastal belt.
“For the last several years police were not entertaining our complaints. Now, after our joint effort the police are forced to take pro-active stance. The seizure of equipment of Diaz is just the beginning,” Moniz said.
He lamented the lack of response from authorities, which necessitated community action to address the issue effectively.
Moniz criticized the tendency of officials to deflect responsibility, emphasizing the primary role of law enforcement in enforcing noise regulations.
For seasoned activist, Desmond Alvares the collective effort to fight the menace of loud music is a good beginning but expects more numbers on the ground.
“The group has definitely created an impact but I feel more people should come out and join the action in persuading the venue owners and the police to act against the defaulters,” said Alvares, who is the livewire of the WA group.
He stated that Anjuna Police were forced to seize the sound equipment of Diaz but surprisingly the cops have failed to register an FIR against the defaulter.
While the menace of noise pollution along the coast is far from over, it is evident that people’s power wields significant influence in rectifying the situation on the ground.
