The monthly anti-encroachment drive by the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) appears to have borne no fruit as encroachments on the footpaths, pavements and lanes in the port town have become a regular feature with the residents of Vasco holding the civic body responsible for the mess.
Claiming that they have been complaining against these encroachments, the residents expressed unhappiness over the failure of the local municipal administration to clear the pavements, footpaths and lanes in the port town of encroachments.
Citizens have alleged that shopkeepers operating from different commercial buildings have encroached upon footpaths and pavements by placing their merchandise in front of their shops. Similarly, hawkers and fruit vendors in the town too have encroached upon the footpaths, which have hindered the movement of pedestrians. Surprisingly, such encroachments have increased in last two months and instead of taking action, the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) officials tend to give vague excuses. Before election, their excuse was ‘staff busy on election duty’ and now after elections, they say ‘staff on leave after hectic election duty’.
“We are surprised to see footpaths in Vasco always occupied by shopkeepers, hawkers and other vendors and this makes it difficult for the locals to walk on these footpaths. Today encroachments on footpaths have become the order of the day. Also the way hawkers selling fruits by encroaching on footpaths in front of Vasco fish market, the same now is hindering smooth flow of traffic along this stretch of road in Vasco,” complained Shekhar Patil, a resident of Vasco.
“Merchandise of shopkeepers and roadside vendors hinders movement of pedestrians which forces them to walk along the road, thereby increasing the chances of accidents and all this is because the MMC failed in clearing the footpaths and pavements of encroachments despite repeated pleas and complaints from the people,” said Vasco-based RTI activist Bandhagit Nadaf.
As there was no action by MMC to clear these encroachments, on January 24, 2017 Nadaf made an official complaint to Chief Officer of Mormugao Municipal Council, requesting the official to clear the encroachments. In his complaint, Nadaf asked the Chief Officer to take note of High Court order dated June 4 1997,( in the writ petition number 148/97, between pedestrians, Dattatraya Deshpande versus Chief Officer MMC and others), wherein the court had issued orders to clear all encroachments on municipal footpaths/roads.
“The order clearly states that all illegal projections/display boards/storage of goods or materials outside the shops on streets/footpaths by owners of shops abutting public streets/footpaths will be put to an end and the chief officers to act accordingly. Thus, I have made my complaint with the belief that chief officer will take note of High Court order and act, failing which, I would be forced to file contempt proceedings before High Court and also for not implementing the directions as directed by the law of land,” Nadaf informed.
It would be unfair to say that MMC is not doing anything to clear encroachments on footpaths and roads. Almost every month, the civic body conducts anti-encroachment drive but as soon as the drive draws to a close, the hawkers and shopkeepers continue with their old habits. Even in case of encroachment by fruit vendors on the footpath opposite the fish market, these vendors were removed by MMC so as to clear the access road to a commercial building. However, MMC failed in its efforts to accommodate these vendors at some suitable location and these vendors were forced to sit and operate from footpaths. The need of the hour is that MMC should prepare a holistic master plan for the town with some projects to resolve the encroachment issue permanently.
When Herald contacted MMC Chief Officer Deepali Naik with the citizen’s complaint, she assured that she would take steps to clear the encroachments on priority and would ensure that strict vigil is maintained on such encroachments.
“I will act as per law to see to it that encroachments on footpaths should not be allowed. Similarly, with regards to encroachments by fruit hawkers opposite fish market, we have already made a provision for them in the proposed market complex and once this complex is ready then this issue would be completely resolved,” she added.
