📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vyacheslav Argenberg
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Heritage Conservation Manual Released, Yet Old Goa Faces Ongoing Threats
✍️ timesofindia.indiatimes.com
🗓 28 Sep 2026, 03:16 AM
👁 18
A new heritage rulebook has been issued to guide preservation in Old Goa, but officials say the historic town continues to confront environmental and developmental pressures.
The Goa state government has formally released a heritage rulebook aimed at standardising conservation practices across the Old Goa precinct, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its baroque churches and colonial architecture. The document outlines guidelines for restoration, adaptive reuse, and community engagement, seeking to align local efforts with national heritage policies.
Despite the regulatory framework, heritage experts warn that Old Goa remains vulnerable to a range of threats. Uncontrolled construction on the periphery, inadequate drainage during monsoons, and rising tourist footfall are cited as primary concerns that could undermine the town's architectural integrity.
State officials acknowledge the challenges and have pledged additional monitoring and enforcement measures. They emphasized that the rulebook is a first step, urging municipal bodies, private owners, and civil society to cooperate in safeguarding the cultural landscape for future generations.
Local NGOs have welcomed the initiative but urged swift implementation, noting past delays in applying conservation norms. They stress that without concrete action, the rulebook may remain a paper document while the historic fabric of Old Goa continues to deteriorate.
The heritage rulebook will be made publicly available online, and training workshops for architects, contractors, and heritage custodians are scheduled for the coming months, aiming to translate policy into on‑ground preservation work.
Despite the regulatory framework, heritage experts warn that Old Goa remains vulnerable to a range of threats. Uncontrolled construction on the periphery, inadequate drainage during monsoons, and rising tourist footfall are cited as primary concerns that could undermine the town's architectural integrity.
State officials acknowledge the challenges and have pledged additional monitoring and enforcement measures. They emphasized that the rulebook is a first step, urging municipal bodies, private owners, and civil society to cooperate in safeguarding the cultural landscape for future generations.
Local NGOs have welcomed the initiative but urged swift implementation, noting past delays in applying conservation norms. They stress that without concrete action, the rulebook may remain a paper document while the historic fabric of Old Goa continues to deteriorate.
The heritage rulebook will be made publicly available online, and training workshops for architects, contractors, and heritage custodians are scheduled for the coming months, aiming to translate policy into on‑ground preservation work.