In a decisive crackdown on safety violations, the Goa state government on Monday sealed The Cape Goa, a high-end hotel operating on a temporary shack licence on the Cabo de Rama hill face in South Goa. This action marks a significant escalation in the state's post-Arpora fire safety drive.
From Temporary Shack to Luxury Hotel: The Violations Uncovered
The joint enforcement and monitoring committee, comprising senior bureaucrats, police, fire safety, and district administration officials, found a litany of serious breaches at the property. The hotel, originally sanctioned as an 18x8 structure for 24 people, had morphed into a large establishment featuring a sea-facing restaurant with a capacity for nearly 100 persons.
Authorities cited a grave risk of fire and an imminent threat to human life as the primary reasons for the immediate sealing. A senior IAS officer revealed that the inspection team had visited earlier, identified multiple fire safety issues, and returned on Monday to find inadequate corrective measures.
A Deathtrap: Specific Safety Lapses Detailed
The committee's findings paint a picture of extreme negligence. The most critical violation was having only a single entry and exit point for the entire establishment. This solitary exit was a steep, narrow staircase carved along the hillside and was found to be obstructed by 29 commercial LPG cylinders, severely compromising escape routes in an emergency.
Further inspections revealed an absence of fire extinguishers in key areas like the kitchen, restaurant, staff quarters, and storeroom. The kitchen itself was declared unsafe with no proper exits, making it a high fire-risk zone. Electrical safety was also ignored, with officials noting dangerous loose connections and joints throughout the property's wiring. The hotel management also failed to produce an approved structural stability certificate and plans.
Despite its temporary shack licence, The Cape Goa offered luxury sea-facing cottages priced at a minimum of Rs 20,000 per night, complete with open-to-the-sky bathtubs for couples.
State-Wide Crackdown After the Arpora Tragedy
This sealing is a direct consequence of the tragic fire at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, which claimed 25 lives. Following the incident, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered comprehensive fire safety audits across all tourism establishments and formed district-level joint committees for enforcement.
The Cape Goa is the fourth tourism establishment to face action but holds the dubious distinction of being the first hotel to be sealed and the first in South Goa to face consequences in this renewed drive. Earlier, the nightclub Goya was sealed, followed by Cafe CO2 and Diaz Goa on Sunday, with concerns raised about structural stability and the use of fireworks indoors.
Inspections have been aggressively carried out in major tourist hubs including Pernem, Calangute, Candolim, Nerul, Baga, Arpora, Vagator, Panaji, and Anjuna. The committees are scrutinizing fire safety measures, emergency preparedness, and overall statutory compliance, issuing on-the-spot directives for lapses.
A Message Ahead of the Peak Season
The intensified audit and scrutiny come at a critical time, just 10 days before the Christmas and New Year season, which is Goa's busiest tourist fortnight. The government is keen to send a strong, unambiguous message that tourist safety will not be compromised. Operations at The Cape Goa will remain shut until the management achieves full compliance and receives clearance from competent authorities.
This proactive stance underscores the administration's commitment to preventing another tragedy and ensuring Goa's reputation as a safe tourist destination remains intact.
