Is our proposed heritage village of Chandor under threat? It witnessed an uproar over a mega project taking shape in the area with agitated villagers demanding that the village panchayat revoke the No Objection Certificate issued for the project consisting of 28 bungalows over a property measuring 21,000 sq mts.
Mega projects and preeminent housing projects have been opposed by locals across Goa because they put a lot of pressure on the resources in the area. In villages where locals are struggling for a daily water supply and facing consistent power cuts, such projects are bound to spell further misery. Goa has seen a time when mega projects were given a big thumbs down by locals across the State.
For example, Mumbai-based Raheja Universal Pvt Ltd had to shelve their plans for a mega housing project in Carmona, Salcete after facing stiff opposition and a court challenge. The project of 600-odd apartments was eventually called off after a prolonged battle which lasted for over a decade. The primary concern here was that the mega project would change the demography of the village with new settlers.
The issue assumes greater significance in Chandor because the State government has proposed to develop it as a heritage village and showcase its rich heritage and history. It is indeed a noble thought because Chandor’s history takes us back to the Kadamba dynasty which ruled Goa till 1367 before it relinquished power to the Vijaynagara. Chandor may not have many footprints of those times, but there are traces of history including the unique ’Nandi’ bull that was excavated in 1930, the remnants of a fort at Cotta, an 11th Century temple, the ancient Sao Tiago Chapel in Cavorim and heritage houses like the Braganza House and the Sara Fernandes House that depict the grandeur of 17th-century architecture.
The government may face monumental challenges towards demarcating Chandor as a heritage village, and there could be concerns over residents being restricted in their land, but the idea, nonetheless is welcome, especially in times when heritage is fast vanishing off Goa’s surface.
With a clearance being now given for a mega project, the very spirit behind identifying Chandor as a heritage village is in doubt because the government, through such development, is opening the floodgates to rampant development, development that could come in conflict with heritage.
Depriving Chandor of any development may be unfair, but without any boundaries or outlines of the idea of treating it as a heritage area, the government is leaving vast scope for haphazard development. If this project across 28 bungalows is allowed, we don’t see any reason to reject others that could follow. If heritage can co-exist with modernity and development, there has to be a well-laid-out plan that ensures that the vibe and topography of the village are not disturbed or compromised.
The Chandor heritage idea may be a good one, but a large part of it is only on paper with very little movement on the ground. Besides, the crumbling heritage structures across the State, some of which have been exposed to the vagaries of seasons, paint a grim picture and do not bode well for Chandor.
Once again we see villagers rise to defend their land and protect their piece of heritage. The panchayat has been standing as a helpless bystander because it does not have the power to reject the plan. There has to be a template for Chandor, a distinctly different one from other villages, and the government must stop paying lip service to heritage.
