
The year was 2023. Driven to their wit’s end by the blaring noise of the late-night partying in one of the clubs in a village in North Goa’s coastal belt, a group of senior citizens got together to organise a protest.
Their weapon against the noise pollution was silence. They held a candle in their hand as they noiselessly marched to the Anjuna Police Station.
They had not slept a wink for nights because of high-decibel sound floating through the night sky in their neighbourhood—their complaints drowned in the flood of noise.
The local authorities remained deaf to their grouse for almost a year. Despite inaction, the harried villagers did not abandon their fight against the noise pollution—all the while their support-base swelling.
Then, during the Independence Day weekend in 2024, they went on a bigger candlelight march, consisting of over 100 residents from Anjuna, Vagator, Assagao and Arambol. On reaching the Anjuna Police Station, they vented their frustration over the callous indifference of the local authorities.
Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 defines noise pollution as “any unwanted sound that exceeds prescribed levels and can harm human health and wellbeing”.
It was not long before their cause got the backing of political might and legal action. This led to Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the body responsible for enforcing pollution control norms, revoking operating licenses of three establishments—two in Anjuna and one in Siolim—for flouting Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 defines noise pollution as “any unwanted sound that exceeds prescribed levels and can harm human health and wellbeing”.
It has fixed permissible levels of noise for different zones (residential, industrial, commercial and silent) and times of day (daytime between 6 am and 10 pm; night time between 10 pm and 6 am) to reign in cacophonous environment polluters.
In a residential zone the permissible noise level during daytime is 55 dB(A) and during night time 45 dB(A).
The pollution policing authority, on finding breach of noise norms, reportedly ordered temporary shutdown of four places—Vista Mare (Anjuna), Dees (Siolim), Diana Buildwell (Anjuna) and Hilltop (Vagator).
The bugle call against the nightly noise menace in the tranquil and idyllic Goa had succeeded in drawing the attention of even central agencies.
And, when some of these establishments refused to comply with their directive of keeping the party noise within permissible limit after 10 pm, it decided to take legal recourse by filing cases against two of them—Hilltop and Salud in Vagator.
The bugle call against the nightly noise menace in the tranquil and idyllic Goa had succeeded in drawing the attention of even central agencies. One such agency came out with a report that marked noise-spots on the map of the coastal State in the northern belt.
Calangute, Baga, Anjuna and Morjim were among the top 30 noise hotspots identified by it—registering noise levels beyond 75 dB(A). In some areas, sounds would even ratchet up to over 100 dB(A).
There were suggestions of creating noise barriers around noise-polluting areas to offer relief to those affected by it and to keep a constant vigil on noise levels in these areas.
Morjim was declared a silent zone—an area where noise is kept at minimum levels to protect those prone to health hazards due to high decibel sounds. Generally, areas in the 100-meter radius of hospitals, schools and courts are silent zones.
There were suggestions of creating noise barriers around noise-polluting areas to offer relief to those affected by it and to keep a constant vigil on noise levels in these areas.
These outcomes of the protests were successful, to some extent, in muffling the jarringly loud noises in the northern coastal stretch.
Slowly, serenity was returning to Goan nights in these villages, where residents slept in peace and carried out their nightly activities without being disturbed by loud partying sounds.
But the victory, extracted after a hard-fought battle against noise pollution, seems to be in danger of getting lost again to the toughened profiteers, for whom the clinking of cash register is the only sound that matters.
Early this month, the State government made a plea to the central government for relaxation of sound restrictions to avoid losing tourism dollars to rival countries.
Their argument: Goa’s tourism revenue has been hit by strict sound norms, which were driving away those visiting the State to party, host lavish weddings or any other such events.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has urged for a tweak in the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 that would ease sound restrictions and allow music after 10 pm.
Early this month, the State government made a plea to the central government for relaxation of sound restrictions to avoid losing tourism dollars to rival countries.
If the Centre acts upon the CM’s request, without coming up with a creative or innovative solution to the curb noise pollution, then Goa’s residents with be sleepless again.
Many South Asian countries have been notorious for their noise pollution records with Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad city at the second spot in the list of World’s 15 noisiest cities as per the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report titled 'Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches'.
There are four other Indian cities—Kolkata, Asansol, Delhi and Jaipur—on this list of global noise polluters. Goa does not figure in it but noise menace is an issue in certain pockets of the coastal State.
Tourism may be driving the State’s economy but it cannot be promoted at the cost of people’s mental and physical health. If the Goa government intends to woo back its noise-loving tourists, it must do so without marring the peaceful existence or susegad of its citizens.
There are four other Indian cities—Kolkata, Asansol, Delhi and Jaipur—on this list of global noise polluters. Goa does not figure in it but noise menace is an issue in certain pockets of the coastal State.
It can take a leaf out of the least-noise-polluting-countries’ pages. Some of the measures that can be adopted are: adhere to mapping and action plans specified under EU Environmental Noise Directives, integrate noise regulation with building codes, enforce building design norms to reduce noise intrusion, encourage use of noise protection walls around noise hotspots, come out with stringent noise monitoring strategies and effective deterrents.