OLD GOA
A large number residents held a symbolic candlelit protest at the Gandhi Circle in Old Goa on Thursday, demanding that the State government prepare a heritage-centric master plan for the former capital city, ensure gazette notification denotifying areas from GPPDA and also scrap the Bainguinim waste plant project.
Speaking to The Goan, local Glean Cabral informed that since Old Goa is home to several heritage sites, the government should prepare a master plan which will ensure that the heritage monuments are protected.
Added noted historian Prajal Sakhardande, “It is a protest against the garbage treatment. We are also demanding a master plan for Old Goa as it is home to world, national and state heritage monuments.”
Speaking further, Sakhardande stated that the master plan should officially declare a no-development zone within a radius of 2 km.
“Even though ASI has a 300-metre buffer zone, there are violations with constructions taking place. We want these violations to stop,” he added.
“Even though the extension of PDA has been scrapped, we demand that there should be a gazetted official notification to this effect and not only a verbal declaration,” said Sakhardande, while opining that authorities concerned should prepare the master plan for Old Goa.
“The master plan is probably delayed with the dubious intention of pleasing the builder lobby. Even the extension of the PDA was part of this dubious plan,” he alleged, while also opposing the plans to set up a garbage treatment plant in the vicinity of the world heritage monuments.
“A garbage treatment plant cannot be set up in the vicinity of the world heritage monuments as there is a possibility of the monuments losing their world heritage status,” Sakhardande pointed out.
Architect Fernando Velho said Kadamba plateau is getting highly developed, due to which the water is coming down and affecting the monuments.
“Already this year, the walls of the Basilica remained wet till December which has never happened in the past. It is because of the large roads that have been built which take the rainwater down to the flat land,” he opined.
“The government should immediately demarcate the buffer zones around the monuments to ensure their protection.”
“The master plan should not cater to the builders, but to the locals who earn their livelihood by selling their wares,” Velho added.
“There are various plans which have been prepared including the one that I am working on along with other architects. But it has to be done by the government and the locals can only offer suggestions,” he opined.
Among those who participated in the protest included Old Goa panchas Vishal Volvoikar and Nilkhant Bhomkar, Heta Pandit of GHAG, Save Old Goa Action Committee members, nuns and others.
