Panaji,December 15: The Goa government has launched an intensive crackdown on illegal and non-compliant nightclubs ahead of the Christmas and New Year festive season, sealing errant establishments across the state’s prime tourism belt following a deadly fire that claimed 25 lives earlier this month, officials said.
The drive was initiated after a blaze at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, North Goa, on December 6, in which 25 persons were killed. As Goa braces for its busiest tourist fortnight, teams from the district administration, Fire and Emergency Services and the police have stepped up inspections of nightclubs in the North Goa tourism belt.
“We are inspecting all the nightclubs, checking their licences and permissions. Any club found to be violating the norms is sealed,” government officer Kabir Shirgaonkar, who is heading the inspection team, said.
Officials said the inspection teams have been empowered to immediately seal establishments found flouting safety norms and licensing conditions. So far, two prominent nightclubs — Goya Club and Cafe CO2 Goa, both located at Vagator — have been sealed.
According to officials, Goya Club was found to have been built on agricultural land, while Cafe CO2 Goa did not possess the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire and Emergency Services Department and was also found to be structurally unstable.
In another action, the Fire and Emergency Services Department has ordered the revocation of the NOC granted to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna in North Goa. A surprise inspection conducted at the premises revealed serious shortcomings in fire safety measures.
“The existing fire prevention and safety arrangements installed there were inadequate and required upgradation,” Divisional Fire Officer Shripad Gawas said in the order issued after the inspection.
With the festive season approaching and tourist footfall expected to peak, officials said inspections will continue, while the fate of several other nightclubs in the state remains uncertain.
