Team Herald
PANJIM: The Save Old Goa Action Committee has written to the Se Old Goa village panchayat not to issue construction licence to a structure earlier designed for ground plus first floor but now seeking construction licence for ground plus additional two floors since the structure falls within the buffer zones of heritage sites.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
In a letter written to the village panchayat, the Save Old Goa Action Committee (SOGAC) president Fatima Pereira, said, “It is understood that the existing structure was designed for Ground plus one. It is unclear whether the existing RCC structure has load-bearing capacity to accommodate two additional floors. Further no detailed structural stability study by a qualified structural engineer is done.”
Pereira has demanded that the application be rejected with explicit instruction to the applicant to resubmit with a comprehensive structural stability report prepared by a certified structural consultant.
She has pointed out that the plans contain provisions for a swimming pool, which is definitely an unnecessary burden on already scarce water supply in Old Goa village.
Pereira has suggested that a letter be written to Public Works Department (PWD) pointing out that there is already shortage of water in the area and an action plan be sought from it for increasing water supply and timeline, so that the village panchayat may know when to start permitting water-intensive projects.
The SOGAC president has pointed out that on June 20, 2024, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had given a clear statement in the Legislative Assembly that “No new structure is to be permitted within the buffer zones of heritage sites.”
“It is clear that this structure falls within the 300 metres regulated development buffer zone as designated under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. Under Section 20C & 20D of the aforementioned Act: The subject property is located within the “Archaeological Park” designation of the Regional Plan, wherein the conservation committee of the State government has established a consistent policy restricting building heights to Ground plus one. The proposed Ground plus two construction fundamentally contravenes this policy and the Chief Minister’s statement,” Pereira stated.
