LoP alleges defiance of HC orders, pollution norms
LoP Yuri Alemao speaks out against unchecked loud music along the coastal belt.
MAPUSA
Residents of Assagao and Goa’s coastal belt are being pushed to the brink as relentless late-night noise from bars and nightclubs continues unchecked, depriving families of sleep and violating their right to peaceful living, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao told the Goa Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Alemao named KIKI’s Bar and Restaurant in Assagao, accusing it of playing loud music through the night and into the early morning hours, far beyond permissible decibel limits. He said the deafening noise has created an atmosphere of fear, anxiety and helplessness among residents.
“This is not entertainment, it is harassment,” Alemao said, pointing out that students are unable to study, senior citizens are suffering health complications, and children with autism are facing severe sleep disturbances and even convulsions due to continuous exposure to high-decibel sound.
According to Alemao, residents have been filing complaint after complaint, often on a daily basis, but enforcement has failed. He described the situation as an “open and deliberate defiance” of High Court directives and the regulations of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
“No location in Goa can be allowed to function as a 24x7 entertainment zone. People have a constitutional right to sleep in their own homes,” he said, demanding strict police enforcement and enhanced punitive action against repeat offenders.
Warning that Assagao is only the tip of the iceberg, Alemao said the menace of noise pollution has spread across the coastal belt, including Baga-Calangute-Candolim, Anjuna-Vagator-Ozran, Morjim-Ashvem-Mandrem and Agonda-Palolem. He cautioned that failure to act now would allow lawlessness to become the norm.
Responding to the issue, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured the House that he would direct the Anjuna Police to immediately look into the matter and take necessary action. The assurance came after the Opposition highlighted how unchecked nightlife is turning residential villages into zones of distress.
