MAPUSA
Plans to host the popular Sunburn music festival in Camurlim have sparked strong opposition among locals, with villagers preparing to protest the proposed event.
Several concerned residents have voiced their objections, citing environmental degradation, traffic congestion and the potential strain on the village’s infrastructure as reasons for their resistance.
The Sunburn festival, one of Asia's largest electronic dance music (EDM) events, is seeking to hold its three-day event on approximately 2 lakh square meters of land belonging to the Camurlim comunidade.
Scheduled for the last week of December, the festival organisers have already submitted a formal request for use of the land, which is now under consideration by the managing committee of the comunidade.
A general body meeting has been scheduled for October 6 to discuss the proposal.
However, the festival's plan has met with immediate backlash from locals, who argue that their small village is ill-equipped to handle such a large-scale event. Former Camurlim sarpanch Sharad Gad has been at the forefront of the opposition, launching a signature campaign against the festival.
"The music festival will be a disaster for our village. Our roads are very narrow, and the influx of people and vehicles will cause severe traffic issues. Beyond that, the festival will destroy the greenery and peace of our village. We do not want this EDM event here," said Gad, expressing the sentiments shared by many villagers.
Gad and other residents have raised concerns about the potential environmental impact of the event. Camurlim, a quiet and predominantly agricultural area, is known for its natural beauty and greenery.
Locals fear that hosting a festival of Sunburn’s scale will lead to noise pollution, littering and long-term environmental damage to the village’s ecosystem.
Moreover, the use of community land for such a commercial event has been a point of contention.
Several locals have questioned whether the interests of the village are being adequately considered by the comunidade in the face of what they perceive as a lucrative, but potentially damaging, proposition.
“We are firmly opposed to the EDM which has become infamous for various illegal activities. Outsiders will start focusing on our village, stripping away its identity as a peaceful, rural community,” said Roshan Fadte, a local resident.
The villagers of Camurlim remain resolute in their commitment to preserving their village’s tranquility and are prepared to escalate their protest if necessary.
