EDITORIAL
Safeguards are needed before undertaking conservation works around heritage sites
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the Directorate of Archaeology to submit a list of all state-protected monuments, along with their boundary plans and details of permissions granted to third-party agencies for beautification or development works.
The direction came while the court was hearing a petition on the state-protected Shri Chandreshwar Bhoothnath Temple at Paroda, which it observed was “totally defaced” during beautification works. In 2018, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) had been granted by the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for construction of a retaining wall at the site.
Goa presently has 57 state-protected monuments under the Goa Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, besides others that fall under the care of the central government through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The direction from the High Court Division Bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit S Jamsandekar is welcome. It exposes a system where a tourism body could secure clearance to build on a protected heritage site without the kind of scrutiny one would expect for a monument under statutory protection. We know how our historical monuments have fared in the past. In the name of beautification, some have been defaced; others left to fend for themselves for want of funds, their maintenance and conservation stalled for years at a stretch. In recent years, though, some fresh initiatives have been taken towards the conservation of important sites – this order should push that further, not stand as an isolated correction.
Monuments anchor a society to its roots. They tell the story of a region’s struggles, triumphs, spiritual beliefs and societal evolution. Destroying or neglecting them erodes a community’s sense of belonging and historical continuity. Conserving them also helps preserve ancient techniques, materials and design philosophies that would otherwise be lost. And they play no small role in tourism: historical monuments are among the core drivers of heritage and cultural tourism, forming, as experts note, a vital bridge between our past, our present economy and our future.
Over the past decade, the central government has placed growing emphasis on monuments, with conservation activity increasingly integrated with tourism development. Heritage tourism is a massive revenue generator. Well-maintained monuments such as the Taj Mahal and the Sanchi Stupa attract millions of visitors annually, who spend on tickets, local transport, accommodation and food, while also adding to foreign exchange earnings. The world over, conservation fuels the tourism industry, and Goa cannot be an exception. The state has UNESCO World Heritage sites and a clutch of other historical monuments, and some initiatives have lately been taken towards conserving those under state government care.
Goa has huge, largely untapped potential for heritage tourism. The state government has been availing of central funds for conservation and tourism development, and rightly so – conservation demands heavy investment, but once made, it draws tourists and revenue for decades. Much, however, depends on how the government goes about it. A professional, sustained approach is needed, not the sporadic beautification drives that have caused damage in the past. Monuments taken up for conservation with tourism in mind could help Goa target high-end travellers – but this must be done with caution. As UNESCO World Heritage Centre director once observed, tourism, when undertaken responsibly, is a positive force for sustainable development, conservation and environmental protection; unplanned, it can be socially, culturally and economically disruptive, with a devastating effect on fragile environments.
That is the balance the state must now strike. Goa’s heritage deserves nothing less.
