The recent collapse of a portion of the Margao Urban health centre raises many questions about the safety aspect of old buildings dotting the city. The heritage building besides doing duty as a primary health outpost also housed an auditorium on the upper floor for events, lectures and social functions. The cave in happened during the night else there could have been massive casualties. Heavy rainfall pounding an already weakened structure which had no maintenance to speak of triggered the near tragedy, the Hospicio building and other Portuguese era structures could be next. The state should constitute a 'structural safety audit committee' to analyze, advise and implement structural rehabilitation of heritage buildings in the state. Instead of wasting Rs 20 crores to find and resurrect the remains of mythical temples purportedly destroyed by the Portuguese, the sarkar would do well to breathe life into our existing heritage structures lest we lose them forever.
