Panjim’s Latin Quarter is facing a fresh test of wills between heritage preservation and modern governance. Residents of Sao Tome, Fontainhas and Mala wards have come together to challenge a compliance notice from the Electricity Department, which mandates installing power meters on the exteriors of their heritage buildings.
Through their collective body — the Community Association of Residents and Establishments (CARE) — they argue that the directive threatens the architectural integrity of the Conservation Zone, an area protected under the Goa State Heritage Policy 2025 and recognised by UNESCO.
Under these protections, any alteration to facades or structures requires clearance from the Conservation Committee. CARE says the notices, issued without such consultation, risk undermining the very character the area is meant to safeguard.
In their petition, residents have called for the orders to be held in abeyance until proper approvals are obtained. They have also proposed using Bluetooth-based monitoring technology as a less intrusive solution.
But that is only half their battle. A parallel petition is now gathering signatures to address chronic traffic and parking violations in the same neighbourhood — a problem residents say has worsened despite repeated meetings with authorities.
A July 12 meeting with police officials, they note, ended with promises of coordinated action involving the Mayor, senior traffic officers, and multiple civic agencies. Yet, illegal parking on footpaths and vehicles blocking pedestrian pathways persists — sometimes, residents allege, under the watch of enforcement personnel. Photographic evidence was shared then, just as Supreme Court directions on pedestrian rights had been earlier. Both, they say, have failed to spur tangible results.
For many in Fontainhas, these twin petitions are not just about convenience or aesthetics. They are about the right to live in a space that honours its past while functioning in the present — a balance they feel is being chipped away by ad hoc decisions and lax enforcement.
CARE has reiterated its willingness to work with the authorities on a comprehensive traffic management plan and modern utility solutions that respect heritage safeguards.
For now, though, the lanes of the Latin Quarter remain caught between charm and change, waiting to see which will prevail.