MAPUSA
What began as a nuisance to locals, unregulated loud music has now crept into the sanctity of religious institutions, with the Xavier Retreat House in Baga emerging as the latest casualty.
Each evening from 6 pm to 10 pm “ and often well into the early hours “ the peaceful surroundings of the retreat house are shattered by ear-splitting music blared from shacks along Baga beach.
Despite numerous complaints, authorities continue to sleep on the issue, allowing this blatant violation of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 to persist unchecked.
The Administrator of Xavier Retreat House, Fr Joseph Fernandes, has been relentlessly lodging complaints via the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) No. 112, yet Goa Police remains unresponsive.
“The excessive loud music from the shacks near the Baga creek has been severely disturbing our spiritual and social activities,” Fr Fernandes stated, emphasising that the decibel levels are far beyond permissible ambient air quality standards.
Instead of support, Fr Fernandes has met with bureaucratic indifference and a turf war between the Anjuna and Calangute Police Stations, each passing the buck on jurisdiction.
While the retreat house lies within Anjuna Police limits, the noise source “
shacks on Baga beach “ falls under Calangute’s purview, creating a jurisdictional no man’s land where no authority is willing to act.
In a desperate move, Fr Fernandes has now escalated the matter to the Superintendent of Police (SP), urging the registration of a Zero FIR “ a provision allowing police to register cases regardless of jurisdiction.
“It is imperative for the Calangute Police Inspector to register a Zero FIR. This is not just a local disturbance “ it’s a violation of public and environmental health,” said Antonio D’Souza, a member of the local Noise Committee.
D’Souza further called for immediate intervention by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to monitor and enforce compliance.
As per the Revised Noise Action Plan (May 2024), the permissible noise limits for commercial zones are 65 dB(A) during the day and 55 dB(A) at night “ a standard routinely flouted by these beachside establishments.
However, loud music isn’t the only source of disruption plaguing the Xavier Retreat House.
The bursting of firecrackers and sprinkling of laser lights late into the night have added to the chaos, disturbing retreatants seeking peace and reflection.
“We are currently in the Lenten season, during which we conduct multiple batches of retreats. The noise and lights are so intrusive that retreatants are often forced to search for quiet corners just to escape the disturbance,” said Fr Shannon Pereira, Director of the Baga Retreat House.
Despite meticulously documenting all complaints and inaction, Fr Fernandes and the locals continue to suffer in silence while the Goa government looks the other way.
The lack of enforcement, inter-departmental apathy and the sheer disregard for basic laws have turned Baga from a tourist haven into a nightmare for locals and institutions alike.
