TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa government has decided to conduct a structural audit of the Dona Paula jetty to ascertain its carrying capacity.
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) proposed to renovate the popular tourist destination, which was last beautified in 2009. Accordingly, it invited tenders for conducting the audit, which will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 5 lakh.
Speaking to Herald, GSIDC managing director Sanjit Rodrigues said that as part of the Panjim master plan, the government had decided to renovate and beautify the jetty, which is one of the major attractions for domestic and foreign tourists. Before conducting the renovation, which would be a complete make-over, it wanted to ascertain the strength of jetty, ie, the structure’s capacity to carry benches, hawkers, shops, restaurants, etc. The audit would help to design the plan accordingly.
The Dona Paula jetty, also know as ‘Lover’s Paradise’ at present stands totally neglected. The railings have corroded and are broken in many places, posing a grave threat to visiting tourists. The electrical lamps, too, have stopped functioning. The ongoing development work of the road leading to the jetty has also created major hardship to the tourists. The government spent Rs 5.14 crore through GSIDC on renovating and beautifying the jetty in 2009.
