Why did the Portuguese move their government from Old Goa to Panjim?

The Portuguese government moved its seat from Old Goa (Velha Goa) to Panjim (now Panaji) primarily due to the devastating impact of recurring plagues and cholera epidemics that decimated the population of the old capital.12

While the relocation was officially carried out in 1759, the move had been under consideration as early as 1684. The decline of Old Goa was severe; between 1695 and 1775, its population plummeted from approximately 20,000 to 1,600 inhabitants. By 1835, the once-prosperous city was largely abandoned, inhabited by only a small number of priests, monks, and nuns.32