AGNELO PEREIRA
THE GOAN | MAPUSA
Goa's pollution watchdog will measure the noise and air pollution levels this Diwali, but it has no enforcement drive planned to rein in the growing festival-related noise nuisance, leaving residents largely dependent on police intervention that, they allege, is far from guaranteed.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will monitor noise levels at four locations – Panaji, Margao, Mapusa and Vasco – on November 1 and November 8, between 6 pm and midnight, as part of the annual exercise mandated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Ambient air quality, meanwhile, will be monitored continuously for 15 days in Panaji, covering seven days before and seven days after Diwali. The monitoring will cover parameters prescribed by the CPCB.
A senior GSPCB official said the exercise was conducted every year as part of a standard protocol issued by the central pollution watchdog.
"We monitor noise for two days, November 1 and November 8, at four locations – near Dempo Tower in Panaji, the municipal gardens in Margao and Mapusa, and the fire station in Vasco. The monitoring is carried out between 6 pm and midnight," the official said.
He added that ambient air monitoring was undertaken only in Panaji for seven days before and seven days after Diwali, with teams deployed continuously for both exercises.
Monitoring without enforcement
However, the Board's role appears to stop largely at measuring pollution levels. The official clarified that the GSPCB does not conduct enforcement drives or intervene against noise pollution, with the responsibility resting with the district administration and police.
This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of pollution monitoring when the very activities contributing to the nuisance continue largely unchecked.
Across Goa, an estimated 10,000 or more Narkasurs, big and small, are reportedly burnt at public spaces and neighbourhood corners during Diwali. While the traditional effigy-burning celebrations are deeply rooted in Goan culture, the scale of celebrations, firecracker use and increasingly powerful DJ sound systems have added another dimension to the pollution problem.
In several residential neighbourhoods, high-decibel music accompanying Narkasur celebrations can be heard well beyond midnight, with residents complaining that the bass from powerful sound systems is strong enough to rattle doors and windows. The noise, combined with firecrackers, turns what should be a festive celebration into an ordeal for senior citizens, children, patients and people who need to work or rest.
Complaints made, action uncertain
A senior police official said residents could call the police emergency number 100 and lodge complaints, following which the police were duty-bound to visit the spot and stop the nuisance in accordance with the law.
"If someone calls 100 and registers a complaint, the police are duty-bound to go to the site and stop the nuisance," the official said.
But residents question whether this assurance translates into action on the ground.
A senior citizen, who did not wish to be identified, alleged that complaints against festival-related noise frequently go unaddressed, with police personnel reluctant to intervene when celebrations are presented as religious or cultural events.
"Many times, the police are hand in glove with the organisers. They say it is something to do with God and that they cannot interfere when Narkasur or Ganesh festival DJ music continues till 4 am," he alleged.
He claimed that political patronage surrounding such celebrations had made it increasingly difficult to question the noise.
"There is a lot of political patronage. Culturally, people are legitimising this type of festival-based noise pollution," he said.
According to him, the problem is not that residents are afraid to complain, but that they have lost confidence in the authorities' ability or willingness to act.
"People are not scared to complain. It is just that they do not trust the authorities to deliver results," he said.
He also questioned the environmental consequences of burning thousands of effigies at public places, particularly when firecrackers and other combustible materials are used.
"Can the GSPCB tell me whether Narkasurs can be burnt in public places and create air pollution?" he asked.
With the GSPCB preparing to collect pollution data and the police promising action on complaints, the larger question remains whether State authorities will move beyond monitoring and assurances to ensure that religious and cultural celebrations do not become a licence for violating the public's right to breathe clean air and enjoy a peaceful night.
For residents, the real test will not be the pollution figures recorded by monitoring stations, but whether anyone will respond when the music gets louder and the neighbourhood is unable to sleep.
