Panaji: Edgar Ribeiro, former chief town planner of India and a key figure in establishing Goa's town and country planning (TCP) department, passed away in Porvorim on Friday. He was 95.
Ribeiro was a member of the task force that prepared the Regional Plan (RP) of Goa, 2021, and had strongly advocated for its timely update. In a previous interview with TOI at his ancestral home in Socorro, North Goa, he emphasized the importance of integrating buildings with their surroundings. "If someone were to ask me how a structure would stand out in its surroundings, I would ask, 'But what about the trees, what about the pavements, what about the people around it?' I was always keen on finding out how a building could fit into its surroundings rather than making the surroundings subservient to the building," he said.
Born in Pune, Ribeiro was the brother of the renowned 'super cop' Julio Ribeiro. He studied architecture at Sir J J College of Architecture, Mumbai, in the 1950s, later pursuing town planning at Manchester University in the UK. Upon returning to India, he joined the town and country planning organisation (TCPO) as an associate planner. His first assignment was a deputation to Goa in 1964, a challenging task as he had to navigate the resentment of locals who had not fully accepted Indian governance after liberation from Portuguese rule.
Though his role was largely advisory, Ribeiro played a crucial role in setting up the TCP department for Goa under Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar. He later became the first planning commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority and was handpicked by the Indira Gandhi-led central government for the 'Redevelopment of New Delhi' project. He rose through the ranks to retire as chief town planner to the Government of India in 1988.
Post-retirement, Ribeiro helped establish Goenkarancho Ekvott, an organization for Goans in Delhi. During one of its meetings, flaws in the Regional Plan for Goa were highlighted, leading him to join the task force for RP 2021 as a member and advisor. He resigned when the planning process deviated from its intended path.
Padma Shri awardee and senior advocate Norma Alvares, who represented Ribeiro in a challenge to the outline development plan for Panaji, described him as deeply dedicated to his profession. "He was deeply pained at the way the TCP Act was being amended time and again to enable the destruction of the ecological features which he sought very hard to protect during the framing of RP 2021," Alvares said. She added that he stressed the importance of understanding the background of TCP Act provisions to defend them against amendments allowing unregulated development.
Ribeiro is survived by his wife, a daughter, and two sons. His funeral will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church, Socorro, at 4pm on Monday.
