the goan I network
PANAJI
In a bid to resolve the perennial conflict between local resident populations and the tourism industry over sound pollution caused by amplified music and other party events in tourism locales, the State government has notified a set of three dozen officers as the “authority” to adjudicate complaints of noise pollution.
The notification was issued under Clause (c) of Rule 2 of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, by Director and ex-officio Joint Secretary (Environment) Johnson Fernandes.The Bombay High Court had in 2010 taken up suo-mottu the issue of sound pollution emanating from the open-air party scene in the tourism belt after senior citizens groups and environmentalists raised a hue and cry.
Directives that the list of designated officers be notified as ‘Authority’ under the law and published with their phone numbers were issued by the High Court to the government.
Fernandes’ notification names the two District Magistrates - R Menaka, IAS, (9822123071) of North Goa and Ajit Roy (9422439439) as the highest ranked officials to be designated as ‘authority’ under the Prevention of Noise Pollution Law.
The notification also names, all additional collectors, deputy collectors or sub-divisional magistrates of all the talukas, Superintendents of Police of North Goa and South Goa and all the
Sub-divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) as the “Authority” to whom the general public can direct their complaints of noise pollution under the stringent law.
While the strong trade lobby of the toursim sector has been up-in-arms against the stringent implementation of the noise pollution laws, residents from the localities however are heaving a sigh of relief ever since the High Court cracked down on the administration turning a Nelson’s eye to the violation of the prevention of sound pollution laws.
