IS THIS HOW THE GOA STATE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOMENT CORPORATION WORKS? Without any sense and sensibility! It’s been three months of capital city Panaji being under siege with continuing road works here, there and everywhere. Traffic jams everywhere and worse…look at this scene just outside the Taj Vivanta Panaji at St Inez a week ago when a water pipeline gushed away merrily, just where a bus-stand is located with the St Inez nallah nearby! Even after the break was rectified (who knows after how long) the area remains in sorry mess. No pedestrian in his or her right mind would dare to await a bus here for fear of danger to limb or life! Stressed out Ponjekars are asking, How much more of this? Many refuse to venture out after dark when Panaji streets look like a badly lit medieval mofussil town of old and not at all like a contemporary 21st century smart city. In the old days there would at least be a courteous PWD board up informing citizens the details of the job being carried and out, who was responsible, when it would be over. Today’s times, any guesses, anyone? (Pic by Pankajbala R Patel)
PANJIM-RIBANDAR CAUSEWAY
DUE to the never ending greed of those currently in power Goa’s capital city Panjim is on the brink of collapse. With no more roads remaining to be dug up, with just a passing shower the entire city would be sinking in further grief.
On account of rank negligence by the authorities, a part of the wall of the over 388-year-old Panjim-Ribandar causeway, which caved in last year at the Ribandar end remains unattended. This causeway is considered one of the longest bridges in Asia and is perhaps India’s oldest – but it has been in a perilous state for so long now.
Built in 1634 for horse-drawn carriages, it has withstood the devastation of decades with all sorts of heavy traffic. In fact in 2016, based on a report of technical experts, the then North Goa Collector had declared this causeway unsafe for heavy traffic and had ordered traffic be stopped.
But the government slept over the issue for the last seven long years while the state of the causeway deteriorated by the day. It is literally hanging on borrowed time and is now in a very dilapidated condition. Who should be held criminally liable for their wilful neglect of this crucial historic causeway? All the cosmetic repairs by engineering quacks has only send public money down the drain.
Before any major disaster occurs, it is now imperative that traffic movement be immediately restricted on this causeway. The government must act swiftly to carry out necessary remedial measures of this causeway along which one gets awesome panoramic and scenic views. Restricting it for two wheelers and pedestrian traffic may be the only way forward to save this heritage causeway.
–Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
STRESSED OUT DAYANAND BANDODKAR ROAD!
DAYANAND Bandodkar road has been recently renovated with a fresh thick asphalt cover all along the Miramar to Panjim highway road. Hopefully this asphalt mixture is of good quality, otherwise it will start flaking off with the first monsoon rain. However, with this cosmetic upgrading the level of footpaths and surrounding business establishments and houses have fallen below the level of asphalt, while the drainage system has turned into a disaster zone…the area has been completely blocked and cannot carry the storm water to the River Mandovi. Also the chambers covers fitted on metallic plates all along the main road are seen lifted for maintenance and lots of garbage and other material existed in their drain all along the main road. I am sure the inundation of roads this coming monsoon will be more severe and this will be hazardous for vehicular traffic as well as to pedestrians.
Another issue is the newly man-made installation having permanent steel enclosures which are coming up, these will cause accidents when high speed vehicles with high beams blank out the incoming vehicular traffic, especially affecting two-wheelers. Earlier those treacherous plastic beacons installed were safer and a better choice. Government authorities and RTO should must make sure roads have proper illumination and are fitted with speed limit boards and cameras at prominent places — and not on electricity poles!
–By Stephan Dias, Dona Paula
MURDER OF DEMOCRACY
MURDER of democracy can be witnessed in all the states. When once you have formed the government you have to work for the people, but BJP doesn’t believe in working, they are busy poaching MLAs not just in Goa, everywhere in India!
–GPCC President Amit Patkar, Panaji
IN PM MODI’S NEW INDIA!
IN PM Modi’s New India, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of BJP! While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches. Today (Friday, March 24, 2023) we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy.
–Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief (courtesy Twitter)