Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Oct 4: The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has recommended the immediate suspension of operations at Margao-based Café 108 until it implements measures to protect residents from noise, heat, and vibrations, an official statement said on Friday.

The Commission directed that the café’s kitchen exhaust be raised above the building roof, all cooking and grinding activities shifted to the ground floor, and shock-proof, heat-resistant measures installed. The recommendations follow a complaint by senior citizen Rajiv Naik Dalal, who resides in the same housing society.

Dalal had alleged that moving the kitchen to the mezzanine floor, along with the use of industrial exhaust fans and heavy-duty grinders, created disturbing noise and vibrations. He had reportedly approached multiple government agencies without resolution before approaching the GHRC.

The Commission, headed by Acting Chairperson Desmond D’Costa and Member Pramod Kamat, observed that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had failed to enforce its own orders from December 2024, which the GHRC noted as a violation of human rights under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

Café 108 had obtained a licence from the Margao Municipal Council in November 2024 and Food Safety registration valid till October 2025, and later secured GSPCB consent in March 2025, valid till November 2026.

The GHRC report has been sent to the GSPCB, seeking comments and action details within 60 days, by December 4.