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Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji
Unlike Mumbai, Goa has decided to allow midnight open air mass for Christmas, and the post-midnight street dances till dawn.
Following the Supreme Court guidelines on prohibiting noise pollution after 10 pm, the Church in Mumbai has decided to wrap up its traditional festivity two hours earlier, to abide by the SC ruling.
"The court has not banned the midnight mass," said Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, observing further that the Church rituals begin at 12 since Jesus Christ was born at midnight.
He has, however, also decided not to allow anybody to cross the sound limit of 80 decibels, imposed by the Supreme Court.
Prior to this, the local Church had also decided to go ahead with traditional midnight mass as usual.
"The Church has always been against all forms of noise pollution and there will be also no use of fire crackers," clarified Fr Carmo Martins, the Church spokesman.
The Union Environment Ministry has prohibited use of amplified music beyond 10 pm by enforcing Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000. The state government had then requested the Centre to relax the provision on certain festive occasions.
Though late night dances for weddings and occasions like Christmas, New Year or Carnival is a 'tradition' in Goa, it has also been misused to conduct full-blast rave parties throughout the night during tourism season, a major irritant for coastal villagers.
"We will also not restrict anybody from holding traditional street dances during festive occasions," stated the chief minister. He has, however, instructed all the concerned authorities to adhere to the provision of not crossing the prescribed sound limit.
Goa's traditional street dances, which normally end at dawn, are also a big tourist attraction. Finding a loophole in the act was thus obvious since the tourist season here has already suffered due to world recession and the post-September 11 situation.
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