Goa cracks down on illegal nightclubs ahead of Christmas, New Year season

Goa's nightlife faces a crackdown ahead of the Christmas and New Year season, with the state government launching an intensive drive to inspect and seal the establishments flouting norms after a deadly nightclub fire claimed 25 lives.

As the state, famous for its scenic beaches, gears up for its busiest fortnight spanning Christmas and New Year, the crackdown has already forced some nightclubs to shut, while the fate of others hangs in the balance.

A team of personnel from the district administration, fire and emergency services and police have been inspecting all the nightclubs in the North Goa tourism belt, officials said on Sunday.

The drive began after the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora in North Goa on December 6 left 25 persons dead.

"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, told PTI.

The team has the power to seal a club flouting norms immediately, another official said.

So far, the team has sealed two prominent nightclubs - Goya Club and Cafe CO2 Goa - both located at Vagator. Cafe CO2 Goa was situated on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea in North Goa.

Shirgaonkar said that Goya Club was built on agricultural land, while Cafe CO2 Goa did not have the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire and Emergency Services Department and lacked structural stability.

The Fire and Emergency Services Department has also ordered revocation of the NOC granted to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna in North Goa, another official said.

A surprise inspection was conducted at the premises on Saturday, during which it was observed that the existing fire prevention and safety arrangements installed there were inadequate and required upgradation, as per the order issued by Divisional Fire Officer Shripad Gawas.