Poles have been erected to support the building at Pimpalkatta after a portion of the sajja collapsed in May, 2025.
MARGAO
On June 24, 2025, Under Secretary (Revenue-II) Agnelo D’Souza issued a circular directing the Collectors of North and South Goa, along with the Chairpersons of the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), to issue necessary instructions and orders to the concerned district-level authorities under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The objective was to undertake a comprehensive verification exercise within their respective jurisdictions to identify buildings and structures that are: (a) structurally unsound, (b) abandoned, or (c) otherwise unsafe for habitation or public use.
The circular further mandated the authorities to coordinate with local bodies—Municipal Councils and Panchayats—to obtain or update lists of such buildings within their jurisdictions. They were instructed to issue appropriate directions to local authorities to: (a) conduct structural safety assessments through competent technical personnel; (b) issue notices to owners or occupants of dangerous buildings; and (c) take necessary action, including barricading, evacuation, or demolition, wherever required.
The circular also made it clear that in cases where local bodies fail to act in a timely manner, the Collectors are empowered to invoke provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to initiate appropriate preventive or punitive action.
Six months later, revenue officials may be required to answer a critical question: Have the Collectors and other concerned authorities complied with the June 24, 2025 circular in both letter and spirit? Beyond this, another equally important question arises—has the Revenue Department reviewed the action-taken reports submitted by the concerned authorities pursuant to the circular, and if so, how many buildings across the two districts have been identified as unsafe to date?
