New policy to safeguard intangible assets unveiled

Panaji: Biodiversity sites like sacred groves and khazan lands will be safeguarded as govt has unveiled a comprehensive 182-page Goa Heritage Policy on Friday aimed at preserving both tangible and intangible heritage assets.

The heritage policy’s categories under intangible assets are natural, cultural and eco-cultural. “This policy was put together because we have a lot of concern for all of Goa’s heritage sites,” said archives and archaeology minister Subhash Phal Dessai.

“Sacred groves, khazan lands, wetlands, rivers, tidal agro-ecosystems and biodiversity zones will be protected under the policy. It will also include the gaanvkari communidade system and village governance. This will be done without encroaching into other departments such as agriculture and forests,” he said.

He said that documentation of shigmo, romtamel, intruz, cantaram,

mussol khell, tiatr and various other folk forms will be done. “There is a need to preserve our intangible heritage, which is slowly disappearing. We will make video documentation of the folk forms and preserve it in our library to be accessible to future generations. We will also promote research work on heritage,” he said.

“There will be detailed guidelines, acts and schemes that will be implemented under this policy.”