PANJIM: The Save Old Goa Action Committee (SOGAC) on Saturday appealed to the State government to formulate a comprehensive Master Plan for the UNESCO World Heritage site at Old Goa within a year.
Addressing a press conference, SOGAC president Fatima Pereira said that this initiative was crucial to safeguard the historical treasure at Old Goa for future generations amidst the looming threats posed by various ongoing projects, including construction of illegal bungalow, laterite resort, helipad and other commercial developments.
Pereira said these projects destroy the UNESCO World Heritage site and landscape. The Master Plan be prepared with demarcation of 300 metres buffer zone to be shown on Regional Plan 2021 and all the facilities like parking, pandal, pilgrims accommodation be included in the Master Plan, which be completed before the Exposition of relics of St Francis Xavier in November next year.
The SOGAC also opposed the proposed project by M/s The Laterite Resorts at Old Goa approved by the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IPB).
Pereira alleged that the proposed project involves change of zone in survey number 89 of Ella, Old Goa.
The project is in proximity to State Protected Heritage site. It encompasses nearly the entire area within 100 metres no-development zone (NDZ) of the State Protected site of Chapel of the Monte.
This critical information, vital for public scrutiny has not been adequately presented and such omission appears to be an attempt to obscure and facilitate the approval of the controversial project.
Also the proposed site’s topography was posing challenge, with approximately one-third featuring a steep slope exceeding 25 degrees. Development would require extensive hill-cutting and retaining wall activities, potentially leading to adverse environmental impacts. The site is surrounded by a monument of State importance, natural cover, traditional houses, and the only access road to the heritage site, the proposed development poses a risk of destabilising the slope and endangering Goa’s cultural heritage.
The sole access to the site is an eight-metre right of way panchayat road, with a narrow tarred width. Given the footfall to the protected monument and proposed tourism use, congestion on the access road is anticipated, posing a threat to human life and heritage structures.
The property also boasts dense vegetation and diverse flora and fauna. Any development would bisect the forest, leading to increased human-animal conflict and substantial losses to the public.
The proposed project located within one-kilometre radius of UNESCO-listed “Churches and Convents of Goa,” violates UNESCO’s recommendation for low-density sustainable development. The project’s deviation from this guideline raises concerns about its true nature and intentions.
In light of these pressing concerns, the SOGAC appealed to the IPB to reconsider the project.
“We are constantly working to promote the preservation of the Old Goa Heritage site through sustainable tourism and industry,” Pereira said.
