Club penalised by GSPCB for environmental and regulatory lapses
MAPUSA
In one of its toughest actions yet against noise pollution, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has imposed a hefty environmental compensation of Rs 21 lakh on a Morjim-based nightclub for repeated violations of noise norms and ordered the establishment to shut down operations for two months with immediate effect.
The action against M/s Royal Tomato (Tomato’s Beach Side Kitchen and Bar), located at Vittaldas Wado, Morjim, sends out a strong message that habitual offenders will no longer be let off with routine fines.
The Board’s order makes it clear that patience has worn thin and enforcement has finally caught up with defiance.
According to the GSPCB, real-time online noise monitoring data revealed that the establishment exceeded permissible noise limits a staggering 70 times – 35 during daytime and 35 during night time – between January 1 and February 5, 2026.
This was despite the issuance of a show-cause notice on January 21, 2026, and despite earlier punitive action for similar violations.
What has weighed heavily against the nightclub is its location in a designated Silent Zone, owing to its proximity to a turtle nesting site – an ecologically sensitive area where noise regulations are among the strictest.
The Board noted that amplified music was being played without mandatory permissions from the Deputy Collector, a violation that is outright impermissible in silent zones.
The GSPCB also flagged that the establishment was operating without a valid “consent to operate” under both the Water and Air Pollution Acts, compounding the seriousness of the violations.
Records show that the premises had earlier paid Rs 1 lakh as environmental compensation for noise exceedances between June and September 2025, after which a closure order was temporarily revoked – only for violations to resume almost immediately.
Calling the nightclub a “habitual violator with utter disregard for the law,” the Board observed that fines alone were proving ineffective.
Citing directions of the Bombay High Court (Goa Bench) in a contempt petition related to noise pollution, the GSPCB concluded that stronger corrective measures were unavoidable.
As part of the directions, the Board has ordered the nightclub to enclose its open premises with proper acoustic treatment and a double-door system if it intends to play amplified music in the future.
Permissions from the Fire and Emergency Services, Electricity Department, village panchayat and other authorities will be mandatory before any reopening is considered.
With this decisive action, the GSPCB appears to have finally got its act together, signalling a no-nonsense approach towards noise pollution – especially in ecologically fragile and residential zones that have long borne the brunt of unchecked nightlife excesses.
