PANAJI
The State government, often facing severe criticism over its mediocre performance in curbing noise pollution beyond 10 pm particularly in the coastal tourism belt, is bracing to take a renewed shot at the task with a new 'action plan'.
The new plan notified by the government lists out mechanisms for geographic mapping of noise/loud sound and also for monitoring it. It also specifies penalties for violation of the sound law and recommends some remedial measures.
Calling it the ‘Amended Noise Action Plan’ the government notification says it aims to "streamline" the processes related to curbing noise pollution in the entire State and is sequel to an assurance to this effect given by the Advocate General Devidas Pangam to the Bombay High Court at Goa last week.
Some measures included in the new action plan are the application processes to secure permissions for use of amplified sound, penalties, the timings for permitting loudspeakers and the rules related to bursting firecrackers besides decibel limits applicable for vehicles of different types.
Interestingly, the new action plan has very few changes from the plan which the State government had notified only in March this year.
Another lacunae in the new action plan, perhaps due to oversight, is the continued listing of landline numbers of the two Collectorates instead of cell phone numbers of the designated officials.
During the April 30 hearing, the bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa had specifically questioned why the March 14 notification had listed landline numbers of the collector's offices for the public to report noise law violations.
The Bench had raised doubts whether there would be anyone in the Collector's office to attend to these calls at 11 pm and beyond, during last week's hearing of the PIL against noise pollution.
The PIL was instituted by the High Court a year ago when Sagardeep Sirsaikar, Arnold D’Sa and other petitioners claimed the authorities are in contempt of past orders for failing to intervene with a more forceful hand against widespread use of amplified sound for outdoor events and gatherings.
During last week's hearing of the PIL, the Bombay High Court Bench also directed the Goa State Pollution Control Board, one of the key technical and statutory agencies responsible for curbing sound pollution, to make a statement at the next hearing slated for May 6, on the status of licensed premises installing functional noise monitoring systems.
