PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday asked the State government to file a detailed plan of action by December 20 for curbing sound pollution that is likely to arise out of Sunburn EDM music festival that is scheduled to be held at Vagator later this month.
The High Court, which is hearing a contempt petition alleging that its orders banning outdoor music events from playing music at levels higher than permitted under the act were being routinely violated, also took on record the report of the two events India Bike Week and TVS Motoverse that were held over the weekend in Vagator.
The High Court had directed officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the District Administration and the Police to be personally present at Goa’s big ticket music events like India Bike Week and Sunburn to monitor the sound pollution levels after petitioners in contempt petition before the High Court alleged that at an Royal Enfield event in late November, despite violations no action was forthcoming from the authorities.
“The officials from GSPCB, the Police officials and the SDM must attend these events and monitor the issue of noise pollution. If they find that any of the conditions of the permissions including the conditions relating to decibel levels are breached, then they should immediately halt the event, seize the equipment, and take further action including launching of prosecution, etc.,” the High Court bench of Justices M S Sonak and Valmiki Sa Menezes said.
The High Court was hearing a bunch of contempt petitions that alleged that the High Court’s orders were being violated and that “violations of the noise rules continued rampantly.”
In October this year, the High Court had ordered that GSPCB, the District Authorities and other noise pollution monitoring authorities to crackdown on sound pollution violations including confiscation of equipment, sealing of the premises and other measures.
“It is imperative that the GSPCB officials, the Police officials and the concerned SubDivisional Magistrate conduct a surprise inspection to detect violations. If violations are noticed, immediate action must be taken to stop the violations and the activities going on in the establishments it is expected that strict action is taken against the violators inter alia by confiscating the equipment and, in case of repeated violations, further action like sealing of the premises,” the High Court had ruled in October this year.
“If repeatedly, the terms and conditions subject to which the Authorities grant permissions are breached, then such establishments cannot rely upon the permissions granted to them.
Operating in breach of terms and conditions virtually amounts to operating without valid permissions. In such cases, the Authorities have sufficient power to stop the activities at the establishment including by way of sealing the same. Similarly, where such activities proceed unabated without permissions, the Authorities must act strictly,” the High Court said.
