AGNELO PEREIRA
MAPUSA
As night descends over the otherwise serene beach village of Anjuna, the beats get louder, the parties wilder and the rules “ simply ignored.
Despite stringent directives from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), several clubs in Anjuna and Vagator continue to blare loud music well beyond the mandated 10 pm deadline, disturbing residents and openly violating court orders.
Among the repeat offenders named by local residents are a number of popular clubs. But what’s most shocking is that Diaz “ a club whose operations were officially suspended by the GSPCB on June 18 and later sealed by authorities on July 1 “ is back to business as usual, thumbing its nose at the law.
A club above the law?
On Sunday night, the sealed club premises of Diaz were anything but dormant. Revellers zipped in and out. Thumping music filled the air. The scene was indistinguishable from any other typical weekend party in Anjuna.
But there was one crucial difference “ this party was happening in a venue that legally should not have even been open.
Local residents, fed up with the repeated violations, teamed up with Noise Monitoring Committee member Gerald Fernandes to document the goings-on. “It was not sealed. It was open. Not only was there loud music beyond the permissible hours, there were people going in and out of Diaz,” said Fernandes, who visited the site close to midnight.
However, when he visited the Anjuna Police Station later that night, he found just one constable on duty and chose not to file a formal complaint. “I will submit my report to the High Court, which is already hearing a contempt plea on loud music,” he told The Goan.
We sealed it: GSPCB
The GSPCB, which had suspended Diaz’s operations due to serious violations, appeared equally surprised that the club was active again. An official from the Board, who was involved in the sealing process, confirmed that the entrance to the club had been physically sealed on July 1.
“We send our report to the collector. The mamlatdar seals the premises. We only identify the unit. After sealing, we have no role to play,” the official explained, clarifying the limits of the Board’s authority.
Asked whether GSPCB would initiate fresh action now that the club has clearly violated the sealing order, the official’s response was lukewarm. “Only if someone complains, we will go. We will seek a report from the police and mamlatdar. Based on that, we’ll decide,” he said.
This bureaucratic buck-passing only underscores what residents say has become an open secret: the enforcement machinery is either too weak or too unwilling to act.
Violation before the seal
Diaz’s troubles with the GSPCB began when officials discovered the club had tampered with its mandatory noise monitoring system.
During a routine inspection in June, inspectors found the online noise monitoring equipment deliberately concealed in a wooden box “ making it incapable of capturing ambient sound data.
“The club violated its ‘consent to operate’ by sabotaging its monitoring system,” the GSPCB had stated in its suspension order dated June 18.
But even with its operations suspended and entrance sealed, Diaz is back in action, emboldened by a system that appears toothless and uninterested.
Police inaction and public frustration
At Anjuna Police Station, officers remained tight-lipped about Sunday night’s events. One senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We have not received any complaint. If we do, we can investigate.”
That line of defence is now wearing thin among the locals. “They keep telling us to lodge complaints, but we have done that for years. Nothing changes. Clubs play beyond 10 pm with impunity. Now, even a sealed club is partying like nothing happened,” said a visibly frustrated resident of Anjuna.
Indeed, many residents feel they are left with no recourse, as both state agencies and law enforcement look the other way.
