the goan I network
PANAJI
Even the intervention of the Director General of Police is not enough for the Calangute Police to act against noise pollution with loud music from shacks at Baga continuing late into the night.
Despite several complaints and letters to the Calangute Police, the North Goa Superintendent of Police, the North Goa Collector, the members of the High Court committee and a letter petition to the Bombay High Court at Goa, loud music continues late into the night at Baga with impunity.
The Director of the iconic Xavier Retreat House at Baga, who has been petitioning various authorities has now said that in exasperation he is contemplating, enforcing the law himself after all the authorities failed to ensure that the law and several orders of the High Court are implemented.
“I have written letters to authorities at all levels and have even brought them to show that loud music is being played late into the night even at 3 am. I began writing the letters three months ago and till date, there has been no action. Instead, I have been asked to compromise,” Fr Lawry Trinidade who took charge of the Xavier Retreat House in Baga told The Goan.
Copies of all letters including a letter petition to the Bombay High Court at Goa are in possession of The Goan.
Fr Trinidade explained that after he raised the issue, the Director General of Police called him for a meeting along with the North Goa Superintendent of Police and directed the North Goa Superintendent of Police to ensure that there was no loud music played beyond 10 pm at the shacks along the Baga beach, but yet the music has continued.
“We conduct recollections, seminars and retreats to various groups of people. Unfortunately, today, the noise pollution is so much that it is a big hindrance to all spiritual activities undertaken here. The music blaring out from the speakers in the shacks from 6pm right up to 4am, prevents us from providing a space and quiet, conducive to what we are supposed to offer them. Our daily night sleep is also seriously affected,” Fr Trinidade said in his complaint to the Calangute Police.
“Several of our retreatants have told us that they want to move away without completing the retreats because of the noise,” Fr Trinidade told The Goan.
The Calangute Police have willfully been turning a deaf ear to the menace allegedly at the behest of the local MLA who himself sought to “mediate” between the Retreat House Director and the shack owners.
The Xavier Retreat House house was built in 1952 to cater to the spiritual needs of the people of Goa. This was the first Retreat house in Goa that provided an opportunity to the people to experience silence and solitude which they were in search of.
“The management of Larios, Café Laval, Bistro, Blue Waves, Blue moon, situated at Baga, Calangute are in continuous violation of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 for last several days,” Fr Trinidade said.
