Long-pending directives resurface as Collector calls for urgent demolition and fresh surveys after years of inaction in Margao
Business operations continue unabated in this unsafe Margao building, despite the revocation of the trade licence by Margao Municipal Council.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MARGAO
Ahead of the ensuing monsoons, South Goa district collector, Egna Cleetus, who is also the chairperson of the South Goa District Disaster Management Authority, is loud and clear – execute orders to raze down unsafe buildings and survey dangerous buildings posing danger to public life and property.
The collector’s diktat ahead of the monsoon may not be new, more so with the administration gearing up for monsoon preparedness in the district. Dangerous and dilapidated buildings, especially such structures standing tall in the commercial capital, are back at the centre of intense debate post the fire incident that engulfed the decades-old Dawood chawl in the city.
The structural stability test on the Dawood building is being anxiously awaited by the beleaguered tenants as well as the authorities, but Margao municipal officials may have to answer a moot question – are the old and dilapidated buildings dotting the commercial capital safe and do they pose no danger to public life and property?
Around a decade ago, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) had prepared a list of old and dangerous buildings, sending notices to the owners to obtain structural stability test reports. Based on the stability reports, the civic body had got the owners to take measures to reinforce the stability of the buildings in question.
Questions, however, remain unanswered – has the civic body updated the list of old and dangerous buildings dotting the commercial capital? If yes, has the municipality got the owners to obtain the structural stability test reports to shed light on the buildings’ stability?
These and other questions assume significance and come against the backdrop of the collapse of a building around four years ago in July 2021 at the Gandhi market. The owner had got the building razed down as per the directions of the Disaster Management Authority. Sources, however, say the ill-fated building did not find a mention in the list of dangerous and unsafe buildings compiled by the Margao civic body.
Against this backdrop, former South district collector Jyoti Kumari had issued clear directions to the Margao municipality to update the list of old and dangerous buildings in the city after the civic body had submitted an old list of buildings.
Incumbent district collector, Egna Cleetus, told 'The Goan' that she has issued clear directions to the agencies, including the MMC, to execute orders for the demolition of dangerous and unsafe buildings. “I have issued further directions to the agencies to compile a list of dangerous buildings posing danger to public life and property,” she added.
When her attention was drawn to an unsafe building which was ordered for demolition by her predecessor Asvin Chandru in November 2023 but is still standing tall, the collector said she would check the records.
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Collector’s fresh directive puts focus back on dangerous Margao building
MARGAO: The spotlight is once again on the controversial building located on Isidore Baptista Road in the heart of Margao, as South Goa district collector Egna Cleetus has issued fresh directions aimed at demolishing unsafe structures in the district.
The building in question had come under scrutiny when Egna's predecessor Asvin Chandru, in November 2023, ordered its demolition following a structural stability report by the Goa College of Engineering. The report, submitted as far back as 2018, had declared the building unsafe.
Despite the demolition order and the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) subsequently revoking the trade licence of a footwear business operating within the premises, the building continues to stand. Commercial activity remains unabated, raising serious concerns over public safety and administrative inaction.
The MMC and the demolition squad have drawn criticism for their failure to act on the collector’s directive. The inaction even prompted local resident Colin Coelho to approach the High Court, seeking intervention and justice in the matter.
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Unsafe Hospicio annexe yet to be razed
MARGAO: More than half a decade after it was declared unsafe by the government, a three-storey annexe building within the Old Hospicio complex continues to stand, raising fresh concerns over the delay in its demolition.
Despite the Health Department having granted approval for the structure’s demolition years ago, the building remains untouched. During a visit by 'The Goan', it was observed that hospital authorities have barricaded the premises as a precautionary measure, reflecting the potential risk it poses to patients, staff, and visitors.
The prolonged inaction has sparked questions in local circles, particularly given the provisions under Section 190 of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, which empowers civic authorities to act swiftly in cases where buildings are in a ruinous condition or pose a danger to the public.
The Act allows the Chief Officer to issue demolition notices, and in cases of imminent danger, to act immediately to prevent harm—even recovering the cost from the building’s owner or occupier.
With monsoons approaching and the structure continuing to pose a risk, civic inaction has once again come under the spotlight, highlighting the urgent need for enforcement of existing safety regulations.
