Catholics in Goa Demand Halt to Construction of a Private Project Near UNESCO Heritage Site

Old Goa, July 1, 2025: Catholics in Goa have called on state authorities to immediately halt the ongoing construction of a private housing-cum-commercial project near the ruins of St. Augustine’s Tower in Old Goa. The tower is a local 16th-century landmark and a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site.

The project has drawn public outrage after local residents discovered that Summit Woods Ltd, the project’s developer, began construction work without securing the required permissions from the local village panchayat. The construction of the project also breaches strict heritage protection laws that govern the area.

Acting on a complaint by elected panchayat official Amba Amonkar, the Se-Old-Goa panchayat—under whose jurisdiction the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site falls—issued a formal stop-work order to Summit Woods Ltd. on June 21, 2025.

Medha Parvatkar, the sarpanch of the Se-Old-Goa panchayat, stated in an official letter to Summit Woods Ltd. that the construction site of the project being developed by the company appears to fall in the vicinity of a protected area under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), where construction is strictly prohibited.

“You are directed to stop work at once and present all relevant documents proving the legality of the construction within three days,” the letter read. It warned the company that if it failed to comply with the panchayat’s order, legal action would be taken against it under existing state laws.

Peter Viegas, coordinator of the Save Old Goa Action Committee, told UCA News that any kind of construction work is prohibited within 300 metres of any UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. He alleged that Summit Woods Ltd. started construction work without obtaining the necessary permissions from the village panchayat as required.

“And we found out that the company had cut many trees; the area was already fenced with tall tin sheets so that nobody could see that the digging work was already in progress,” Viegas pointed out.

“The state government has failed to present a Master Plan to safeguard and preserve the Old Goa heritage site for posterity,” Viegas said. ”In 2014, the government demolished 150 illegal structures in Old Goa to make up for land shortage amid a huge influx of tourists,” he added.

Concerns over construction near heritage sites in Old Goa have grown in recent months. In May, residents of Se Old Goa also opposed a proposed three-storey police station near the Basilica of Bom Jesus, another significant 16th-century monument that houses the relics of St. Francis Xavier, a revered Jesuit missionary.

Local resident Glean Cabral stressed that the law clearly prohibits any new development within the vicinity of such heritage sites. “This is not permissible under any law,” he asserted while speaking to UCA News.

As public pressure mounts, residents and heritage activists continue to demand stronger oversight and enforcement to safeguard Old Goa’s historical legacy for future generations.

Source: UCA News