THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2024
Mala area which is a home to heritage houses has sewage water flowing on its roads. This is what residents of Panjim have received while the city is being turned into a smart one. The citizens are left with receiving unusual guests like snakes, lizards and other reptiles from the creek visiting their doors.
The promise of resolving the issues by the Corporation of the City of Panaji has remained just on paper. The administration has lost its sensitivity towards the citizens of Panjim. It is not possible to predict what the city will go through during this year's monsoon despite the fact that it floods every year. However, one can say with certainty that this year's monsoon will be worse than usual.
It is extremely important to properly manage the drainage system of the sewage water in order to maintain peoples' health. Untreated sewage water if sipped into the mainstream flow of water sources, it will lead to health hazards and the city has experienced it before. The city's central region has witnessed a severe plague of cholera and jaundice and despite being aware of it, the administration is playing with the health of its citizens. The city's charge is with the City Corporation of Panaji while Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited looks after the central government's flagship smart city project. There is thes Mayor as well as Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration on the organisation's committee including MLAs.
Hence, all these officials cannot point fingers pass the buck and divert the focus from the main issue. While the CCP points fingers at Smart City officials, the latter blame the PWD. This is an example of shrugging off responsibilities in broad daylight and it should not be tolerated.
Ponjekarss have the constitutional right to live a healthy life and nobody can take it away. Nobody is saying that there should not be developmental works taking place in Panjim however, it can be done in a planned way and by meting out least possible hassle to the citizens. It should not take 15 days to fill the pits dug in front of peoples' houses. In fact, the CCP, on priority, should try to keep the river, nullahs and lakes in the city clean. They should provide sufficient facilities to treat sewage water in order to reuse it. The preference should be given to harvest rainwater and take the benefit of exceeding amount of water of floods by managing it properly. Instead of that, the administration is damaging the already existing facilities. Earlier there were many inlets to Santa Inez creek before filling up the city for various projects began.
At one point, even boating would take place in the creek. However, the basin of the creek was slowly filled up. The city also had a Portuguese-era drainage system and there were maps of it as well. Turns out these maps were lost somewhere down the line. The people newly working in the city have no clue about the erstwhile systems which existed and hence, the approach is such that new systems are being created as if there was none before.
Needless to say the crisis of flood looms over the city this year too. Many factors contribute to the pollution of the water during its usage and so, this water cannot be reused. Such water is termed as waste or sewage water and is generated during its utilisation at toilets, washrooms, kitchen, shops, hotels, restaurants etc. If waste water is not disposed of properly then it poses risk to citizens' lives. This water also has adverse effects on the environment.
Waste water management refers to safely accumulating, storing and treating sewage water generated from aforementioned establishments. The treated sewage water once managed can be reused and there is a need to bring this into consideration. Stressing merely on basic facilities won’t make the city smart.
Focus should be on waste water management and in fact, it should be treated as an important developmental matter. Wastewater management should be strengthened on the RRR model- Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. The officials can do whatever they desire on administerial level in order to make the city shiny, or like a rainbow in ministers' words, but do not deprive the citizens of their basic rights.
The number of people visiting Panjim for work and for sightseeing are more than its residents. They should be provided facilities but not at the cost of people who live here. Do not make locals pay the price for making the city smart. Every visitor coming to Goa visits Panjim and creates his image of the State depending on what he sees in the capital city. Hence beware, disorder in Panjim may prove to be negative for the growth of tourism.
