VASCO: The pre-historic rock-cut cave at Dabolim, which is believed to be carved out and used by the cavemen, has been sealed by unidentified miscreants. The monolithic cave, which is listed on the Chicalim Village Panchayat People’s Biodiversity Register,was sealed on Thursday night.
A person, who saw the sealing, alerted the Chicalim Bio Crusaders about this mischief. By Friday, the brick and masonry work was hidden with a plaster of mud.
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The pre-historic rock-cut Chicalimcavelies off the Dabolim-Bogmalo road. It is believed that some families of the first caveman lived in Goa in these caves, which are of rich historical and heritage. The pleas of the Chicalim Bio-Crusaders to the authorities to declare this area as a heritage site have fallen on deaf ears.
On World Heritage Day, Chicalim Bio Crusaders held an awareness programme for over 100 students of St Andrew’s Higher Secondary School, Vasco. Cyril Fernandes, the convenorof Chicalim Bio Crusaders, said,“A police complaint had been filed in the case on Friday.”
When questioned, ChicalimSarpanchKamla Prasad Yadavdenied that the panchayat was in any way involved in sealing the caves. The sarpanch even advised the Chicalim Bio Crusaders to file a police complaint. Though, the property belongs to the Comunidade, it appears that some real estate firms have a vested interest in sealing the caves. The caves border the Indian Navy property at Dabolim, which falls under Chicalim Village Panchayat.
Meanwhile, the Chicalim Bio-Crusaders on Saturday appealed to the government to help in restoring the sealed pre-historic heritage natural cave at Dabolim, by some unidentified persons.
The Chicalim Bio-Crusaders activists holding placards staged a protest against the sealing of the pre-historic natural cave at Dabolim. They demanded that the government must help them to restore the cave to its original condition.
Fernandes told villagers that he will now file another complaint with the village panchayat demanding action against the culprits.
Prof PrajalSakhardande demanded that the Archaeology Department should immediately take protective steps to restore the cave to its original condition.
He recalled that since 2005, he and Fernandes had been pursuing with the Archaeology Department to declare this particular cave,“alongwith three underground caves situated in the Naquelim ward of ChicalimPanchayat, as heritage sites, but in vain”.
Chicalim Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) Chairman Rui Araujo and Save Mhadei Save Goa activist TanojAdwalpalkar also demanded action against the culprits involved in sealing the cave.
