MAPUSA
While the Anjuna Police have registered an offence against the manager of Glory Club at Vagator for playing loud music based on the complaint of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), a member of Noise Committee, Antonio D’Souza informed that the GSPCB has failed to follow due process of law while registering complaint under the stringent Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986.
“The complaint against the Glory Club ought to have been filed under Section 19 (b) of EPA, 1986 before the District Magistrate as per direction of the High Court of Bombay at Goa and the District Magistrate is duty bound to take cognizance of the offence under rule 11 Scale of Compensation for violation of Noise Rules as envisaged in the notification,” D’Souza said.
“Filing a FIR to register complaint under Section 15 of EPA, 1986 for playing music beyond permissible time and limit before the SDPO Mapusa by the GSPCB leaves a loophole for the Vagator Glory Club’s manager to escape the penalty and seizure of musical equipments and to mislead the High Court,” he added.
Acting on a complaint of activist, Sagardeep Sirsaikar, the officials of GSPCB inspected the Glory Club on February 9 and found the club was playing loud beyond permissible levels and filed a complaint. Based on GSPCB’s complaint police lodged an offence under Section 15 of EPA, 1986 and Section 5, 7 of Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000.
Ironically, Sirsaikar informed that despite filing an FIR against the club for violating the loud noise norms on February 9, Glory Club was found playing loud amplified music on February 11 in defiance of the High Court order and under the very nose of the Anjuna Police.
“Several clubs and hotels continue to violate the High Court direction on noise pollution with impunity and the police fail to take action against them,” said Sirsaikar.
Another Assagao-based activist, Desmond D’Costa said parties were going on the whole night in open air while Anjuna Police which is just 100 metres away from these clubs/hotels cannot hear the music.
He asked why the Glory Club owner was only booked and not arrested?
“Yesterday evening trance parties started at eight venues each at a distance of 50 metres from each other. Yet they found only one Glory Club when the rest were also blasting away. Possibly, they didn't pay the right amount of hafta demanded,” D’Costa alleged.
