SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
A sudden early morning drizzle turned into heavy showers when markets were expected to open for the day's business. Rain showers were experienced across the State, with the 'Smart City' inundated on the busy 18th June Road and motorists facing hardships across the 'under-construction' capital of Goa (detailed report in today's edition). The only solace, no major tragedy or accidental death was reported on Saturday due to the rainfall.
The sudden downpour provided respite from the rising temperature and the heatwave-like situation that locals and tourists had been facing over the last fortnight. Reports and visuals of sudden showers last week in the border districts of neighbouring States had given hopes to Goans for a spell of unseasonal rainfall. However, those hopes seemed to be dashed by the constant warnings of rising temperatures from the IMD.
Even on Friday, April 19, a day before the sudden spell of unseasonal rainfall, the daily weather bulletin of the IMD had warned of a high heat index with people feeling the temperatures to be more than 40°C despite the temperature remaining below 37°C. The IMD had predicted, "Hot and humid weather conditions very likely in isolated pockets over Goa state during 19-21 April 2024." Only on Saturday at 9 am did the IMD warn that “Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning very likely to affect at isolated places over North Goa and South Goa districts of the State during the next 3-4 hours”. As the day progressed, in the afternoon the IMD issued a yellow alert for the next two days.
Panjim received 93.8 mm rainfall on Saturday and the city was inundated. The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) had no answers to the sinking conditions of the city except to blame the Smart City works. Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL), the special purpose vehicle, has six weeks more to complete all its work when the deadline ends on May 31, this year. However, past experiences and the shoddy quality of works alongwith haphazard planning does not generate confidence in the public that the works could be completed in time and the citizens will have their city back in good shape to be called 'Smart'.
Saturday's spell of rainfall and the collapse of the 'Smart City' has only led to scepticism and the 'sinking city' has raised more questions about the quality of work. Every lane was flooded, as a result, shops were inundated, drains choked, electricity poles were damaged, pavement vendors and hawkers were affected and couldn't carry out their business, vehicles were damaged due to flooding and not to forget the hardships faced by the pedestrians.
Panjim was amongst the first cities selected under the Centre's Smart Cities Mission launched in 2015. Marred by delays due to a lack of coordination between various government departments and a lack of monitoring by the proponent of the projects, the Panjim city, which was always considered to be a well-planned city, has literally gone down the drain over the years. The biggest question that looms large in every citizen's mind is: "Works that couldn't be completed in 9 years, will they be completed in 6 weeks? And if completed, what will be the quality of the work?" The City fathers to be politically correct have only been washing their hands off by blaming the IPSCDL, even while the Panjim MLA as well as the city’s Mayor are the directors on the board of special purpose vehicle.
