MAPUSA
The Anjuna-Vagator coastal belt, long known for its nightlife and pulsating parties, has also earned notoriety for something else -- unchecked noise pollution.
Despite repeated assurances from authorities and several interventions by the courts, the sound of blaring music continues to echo across villages deep into the night.
Fresh data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act reveals a telling story.
Between 2021 and the first week of August 2025, the Anjuna Police registered 33 cases against various clubs and restaurants for violating noise pollution norms.
Yet, only a little over 30 per cent have been chargesheeted.
Cases rise, chargesheets lag
2025 (till August 10): 17 cases registered; none chargesheeted
2024: 10 cases registered; 6 chargesheeted
2023: 3 cases registered; all 3 chargesheeted
2022: 1 case registered; chargesheet filed
2021: 2 cases registered; chargesheets filed in both
The numbers highlight both inconsistency and inaction. While there was near-total compliance in 2021, 2022 & 2023, in the other two years there was a sharp rise in complaints but a worrying lack of follow-up action.
Repeat offenders, same story
The list of violators includes some of the most popular and high-profile party spots in the belt: Hill Top, Salud, Club 9 Bar, Raeeth, Thalassa by Cliff, Hotel W Goa, Diaz, Noah, Romeo Lane, Pirates Café, Pappi Chulo Goa, Sanngria, and Gypsea Restaurant.
Several establishments have been booked multiple times. Diaz tops the list with four cases, while Club 9 Bar, Raeeth, and Thalassa by Cliff each face three cases. Hotel W Goa and Noah have two cases each.
Yet, despite being repeat violators, these clubs continue to host parties with booming sound systems, often pushing decibel levels way beyond permissible limits.
‘Cases only on paper’
For locals who have endured sleepless nights for years, the numbers don’t come as a surprise. What hurts more is the lack of deterrence.
“It’s obvious that almost all the cases are registered only due to public pressure but no coercive action is forthcoming. The same clubs where cases are registered against them are holding parties full on without any care to the law or the authorities,” said a resident from Vagator, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The perception of “cases only on paper” is further strengthened by the fact that not a single establishment has been shut down or penalised in a manner that could dissuade future violations.
I-Day weekend madness
The frustration is amplified by the fact that the High Court of Bombay at Goa, while hearing a contempt petition earlier this year, reiterated strict conditions against loud music. The court ordered installation of sound monitoring machines in all clubs and restaurants, with real-time monitoring by authorities. Yet, during this year’s Independence Day long weekend (August 14–17), the belt witnessed what residents described as “complete madness,” with music played round-the-clock in blatant defiance of court directives.
The bigger picture
The RTI data not only exposes the rising number of cases but also highlights a worrying trend: the more the cases, the less the follow-up.
While earlier years saw swift chargesheeting of cases, the past two years – when complaints peaked – have witnessed stagnation in prosecution.
For residents, the statistics confirm what they have been living through: a system where cases are filed to pacify public anger but rarely see any deterrent outcome.
Until enforcement goes beyond paperwork and translates into actual penalties or closures, the Anjuna-Vagator nightlife juggernaut appears set to continue drowning out the peace of its long-suffering locals.
