Margao Unsafe Buildings To Be Demolished After 18 months Long Safety Delay
After nearly a year and a half of administrative delays and legal wrangling, demolition work on two structurally unsafe buildings in Margao is finally set to begin. The long-awaited move comes in response to repeated warnings from experts and public safety concerns following parapet collapses in the area. The Public Works Department has now shortlisted contractors to carry out the demolition of the Cabecca de Calconde structure and the severely degraded Indira Apartments, both flagged as hazardous by engineering assessments. Execution will begin once the last remaining occupants are evacuated.
The delay in acting on earlier demolition orders has sparked criticism from residents and raised serious questions about civic accountability. In the case of Cabecca de Calconde, a demolition directive was issued as early as November 2023, yet municipal inaction allowed the structure to continue posing risks. The urgency of the situation escalated after two partial collapses in Margao in May this year, prompting the district administration to reissue immediate demolition orders. Civil engineers from a state college had earlier found both buildings “beyond repair,” citing corroded reinforcements, exposed steel, and severe concrete decay. Despite this, legal disputes and reluctance from municipal officers caused an extended standstill.
While most families from Indira Apartments have vacated, a few remain, delaying the start of demolition. Similarly, the lone remaining resident in Cabecca de Calconde is contesting eviction in court. Still, local authorities insist that demolition will proceed in the coming days. The buildings have been standing as dangerous relics in the heart of the city—an emblem of bureaucratic inertia and planning failure. Urban planners warn that delays in removing structurally unstable buildings increase not only the risk to lives but also the cost of emergency interventions and public disillusionment with governance systems meant to ensure safety.
As demolition plans move forward, residents and activists are calling for transparency around the future use of the cleared land. Fears have emerged that once razed, the prime urban plots may be handed over for private redevelopment rather than preserved for public interest or community facilities. For a rapidly urbanising state like Goa, the Margao episode underlines the need for structural audits, proactive civic action, and equitable redevelopment that prioritises safety, accountability, and sustainability over speculative construction interests.
