Even as the crowd at the UB40 concert enjoyed the last set of the band they grew up listening to, there was a common sense of disappointment among them over the sound restriction. They had come from all over the state for the show but were left frustrated that the show got over when it did.
With the state government is mulling over a proposal to address these concerns by bringing about new regulations, the 10 pm deadline is currently enforced in Goa under the Madhya Pradesh Music Control Act. While this deadline has been the bone of contention in the tourism and events industry, it was welcomed by a section of residents who were against loud music after 10 pm.
For the hotels, restaurants and wedding venues, it is common to see guests clamouring for the sound restriction to be extended. Given that Goa is a tourism and wedding destination, stakeholders in this sector have often submitted demands to the government asking for the creation of zones where there can be relaxations on these sound restrictions such as allowing the loud music till 11.30- 12 pm. It is also common to see residents who live near these establishments complain about how the high decibel levels disturbs the peace and tranquility. In the past when this issue has been raised, they have cited senior citizens health and school and college going children’s studies getting affected by the late music. Furthermore, it is suggested that Goa should not be a sole exception as the 10-10.30 deadline is applicable all across the world, even in bigger tourist areas like Ibiza.
