PANJIM: Less than three weeks after Goa was declared open defecation free, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the government to set up mobile toilets at Dona Paula, which is frequented by visitors including tourists, within two weeks.
The direction was imposed taking cognisance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by nine residents of Dona Paula alleging that repeated pleas to local authorities to create parking and toilet facilities at spacious land acquired in 1998 have not yielded results.
The State government, in its reply during the hearing on Wednesday, submitted to the court that the concerned land is for creating public parking, but the bench has ordered to maintain status quo.
Petitioners Melvin Francis Da Silva, Rainer Dias, Bryan Soares, Allen do Carmo Lobo and five others had moved the court last month also pointing out to the pitiable traffic situation along the NIO junction, owing to lack of parking facilities for locals and tourists in and around the place.
Seeking immediate relief, the petitioners mentioned of the haphazard and illegal parking of hundreds of local city buses, tourist buses, taxis and other vehicles around the NIO junction and along the roads that converge to the junction, resulting in severe traffic congestions, chaos and tense moments of altercations. They also submitted that the lack of toilet facility has forced visitors to use these open spaces to ease themselves.
The PIL has been filed against the State government, District Collector, Department of Tourism, Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, Superintendent of Police, Goa Tourism Development Corporation, City Corporation and Taleigao Village Panchayat, which were issued notices for reply.
