Portion of parapet of old building in Margao collapses, vehicles damaged

Time of India

23-05-2025

Margao:
A portion of a parapet on the upper floor of an old building near Pimpalkatta, along the road leading to Gandhi Market in Margao, gave way on Friday. Several vehicles parked beneath the building were damaged after the debris landed on them.
However, there were no casualties.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, who visited the site along with the chairperson of Margao Municipal Council (MMC), Damodar Shirodkar, said that the structural stability of the building will be assessed, and until then, the building will be evacuated to prevent any untoward incident.
A similar collapse occurred in October 2022 when a portion of the first-floor parapet of the same building collapsed, injuring a passerby and damaging a car.
The area witnesses heavy traffic and pedestrian movement during rush hours, making such structural failures particularly dangerous. Representatives of a local market association have previously raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of several buildings in the vicinity.
The recurring incidents point to a larger problem plaguing Margao and other parts of the state— the presence of several dilapidated buildings that continue to pose safety risks.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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The MMC previously identified 22 unsafe structures, though authorities have struggled to address the threat. However, the building that faced the current collapse of its parapet hasn't yet figured in the list of the unsafe buildings identified by the MMC, said municipality sources.
Legal experts attribute the persistence of such unsafe buildings to restrictive provisions in the Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent & Eviction) Control Act, 1968.
The archaic rent control legislation makes redevelopment financially unfeasible, as tenants continue paying nominal rents fixed decades ago while maintenance costs have escalated significantly.
'These buildings may have been built 50 or 60 years ago, but tenants continue to pay the same amount of rent that was fixed then, a paltry Rs 20 to Rs 50,' explained legal practitioners familiar with such cases. The situation is further complicated by tenancy rights that persist even if buildings deteriorate, requiring developers to negotiate with tenants before any redevelopment can proceed. This creates a situation where unsafe structures remain occupied despite their hazardous condition, as seen in cases where trade licences continue to be issued for units in buildings declared unsafe by municipal authorities.