PANAJI
Several conservation experts and citizens reacted with concerns to reports that the South Western Railways which is executing the controversial double-tracking project has uncovered a 135-year-old Portuguese-era structure in the Western Ghats close to Dudhsagar.
A statement issued by 'Amchem Mollem' one of the collectives spearheading the agitation against three linear projects in protected forests including the railway double-tracking said for several months village panchayats, heritage groups and residents have been raising concerns of how the infrastructural rail project would affect cultural and natural heritage of Goa.
"It is quite ironical that the SWR is trying to promote the restoration of Goan heritage with this new-found structure when through double-tracking they are inflicting damage on so many heritage structures along the belt," said Lester Silveira, an architect.
The claim of PK Mishra, SWR Additional General Manager, who has initiated the restoration of the structure that a heritage walk circuit around Dudhsagar to provide a beautiful view to tourists is ironical, it said.
The Goa Heritage Action group had presented findings to the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court of how the existing line is already having a detrimental effect on heritage structures and that the proposed double-tracking puts them all at risk of declining further, it said.
"At first, one is tempted to offer congratulations to the SWR. It's a good move in the right direction, no doubt, but you'll have to forgive me for thinking of this as a ploy, a distraction, from the major damage that the railway line doubling will cause," said Heta Pandit, Chairperson of GHAG.
"What about destruction of 150 heritage houses on either side of the existing railway line in Arossim, Cansaulim, Pale and Velsao and hundreds of others that have not been surveyed, described, listed, graded or inventoried?", Pandit added.
