Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: In order to achieve stronger compliance with the Supreme Court’s instructions, the state administration changed the action plan to minimise noise pollution. This revision includes timelines for bursting firecrackers during festivals.
After identifying places in various zones, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and police officers have been charged with carrying out noise level mapping. Remedial actions will be recommended based on the mapping in order to reduce noise levels that are higher than allowed.
The Revised State Action Plan for Control of Noise Pollution was notified on Friday by the state administration. It replaces the earlier notice from January 2022 and attempts to ensure strict adherence to established standards while streamlining the noise monitoring and mapping procedure.
The Department of Environment and Climate Change has announced that the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 will be implemented and enforced by a number of authorities, including the District Magistrates, Police Commissioners, and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
A thorough process for authorising the use of public address systems, sound amplifiers, and loud speakers in public spaces and events has been laid out. Different licences from authorised authorities will be needed for both permanent and temporary sites.
However, events and functions with fewer than 100 attendees, private gatherings held in home buildings, and communal religious gatherings are exempt from requiring permission.
The Supreme Court has mandated strict deadlines for setting off firecrackers on holidays including as Diwali, Guru Purnima, New Year’s, and Christmas.
Environmental activists and citizen groups that have been calling for more aggressive steps to reduce noise pollution in the state have praised the Revised Action Plan. Nonetheless, a few stakeholders in the event planning and hospitality sectors have expressed worry about the strict rules and how they would affect their companies.
