Team Goemkarponn
OLD GOA: The Save Old Goa Action Committee has strongly opposed the proposal to construct a new police station in Old Goa, arguing that the project falls within the UNESCO Buffer Zone surrounding the Basilica of Bom Jesus and could jeopardise its World Heritage Site status.
In a letter submitted to the Village Panchayat of Se Old Goa and signed by local residents, the committee called for an immediate halt to all permissions linked to the project.
They stressed that no new construction should be allowed until a comprehensive Master Plan for Old Goa is drafted with inputs from the Church authorities, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, the Panchayat, and historians.
Raising serious concerns, the committee warned that the proposed 12.7-metre structure would worsen traffic congestion in the heritage precinct—particularly during the novenas of St. Francis Xavier, when thousands of devotees visit the site.
They further cautioned that construction activity and operational vibrations from the new building could damage the fragile heritage monuments in the vicinity.
The committee clarified that it has no objection if authorities choose to repair or renovate the existing police station instead of constructing a new one.
