Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji : The country’s first public astronomical observatory may soon lose its home, with no place to shift after functioning for over four decades at the Junta House in Panaji.
The observatory is managed by the Association of Friends of Astronomy (Goa), a society under the Department of Science, Technology and Waste Management.
With demolition of the building planned and reports of a casino being housed on the rooftop of the new structure, the observatory faces closure, as the society has been unable to find an alternative location even after a year.
Association president Satish Nayak said the organisation approached several government departments and officials but faced repeated obstacles. Since the observatory is run by a society under a department and not directly by a government department, they were told government premises cannot be directly allotted, said Nayak.
Nayak said the future of the observatory remains uncertain. When news first emerged about the demolition of Junta House months ago, the management began searching for an alternative site.
“We studied almost every government building in the city, but each time we suggested a place, we were told it was not available,” he said. In one case, they were asked to shift to a government residential quarter, but it was in poor condition and on the ground floor, making it unsuitable for an observatory.
Nayak said the institution cannot operate from just a terrace. The observatory has facilities spread over about 583 sqm, including an auditorium, computer and astrophotography labs, kids’ tinkering lab, mini museum, specialised astronomy library, telescope gallery and an electronic observatory dome. A 180 sqm open terrace is used for sky observation and attracts crowds during celestial events.
“This is not like shifting a normal government office with a few tables and files,” Nayak said. “The observatory is a scientific institution, research centre and attracts public. Without proper space, it cannot function,” he said.
Nayak said that many government buildings now have terraces covered with sheets due to leakage and waterproofing problems, making them unsuitable for sky observation.
Responding to suggestions to shift outside the city, Nayak said the observatory is visited by children, students, women, elderly people and tourists, making safety and accessibility important. It remains open from 7 pm to 9.30 pm and sometimes hosts late-night celestial events, so it needs a central and safe location. He added that the organisation already conducts winter weekend observation trips to remote areas near the Western Ghats.
Nayak said he approached Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who supported the observatory and assured a new location. A temporary shift to the Meteorological Department building at Altinho and later to a new building at St Inez were suggested, but the proposals could not proceed due to central government procedures, technical rules and concerns that the buildings were not designed for a rooftop observatory or night-time public access.
With no confirmed relocation site, Nayak warned that the 44-year-old observatory could collapse. He said years of volunteer work have made it a recognised centre for astronomy education in Goa.
The organisation runs eight astronomy centres across the state and has played an important role in introducing astronomy to Classes IX and X, now gradually being introduced from Class VI under the New Education Policy. “If the observatory is lost now, Goa will lose something unique that may never be recreated,” Nayak said.
He urged the authorities and citizens to help find a suitable place in Panaji so that the observatory can continue its work in education, science outreach and tourism.
