August 23 by-election will be the fourth election that the Panjim assembly constituency will witness. Apart from introduction of so called ‘Smart City Concept’ (under pipeline) and change in local political leadership, Panjimites have not witnessed any major transformation they can boast of. Perennial problems, which today occupy larger portion of the candidate’s election manifestos, continue to haunt them till date.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under leadership of its strongman Manohar Parrikar, has been ruling the constituency since 1994, until he had to resign in November 2014, after being elevated as Union Defence Minister. He was succeeded by his close aide and former secretary Siddharth Kuncolienkar, who got re-elected in February 2017 election.
Parrikar is now in action once again and keenly contesting the by-polls. In his poll rhetoric, Parrikar’s contender and Congress candidate Girish Chodankar has accused him of neglecting the constituency for the past 22 years, where he has been Chief Minister for three terms.
Though Panjim is considered to be a developed city, and everything seems hunky-dory from a distance, the capital city too is not without its share of problems.
And if Parrikar, who claims his opponents will lose their deposits, does come back to power, as tipped by almost all political pundits, he would have to resolve various vexed issues that have been worrying Panjimites for some time now.
Some issues that shimmer visibly on the surface and craving for attention include haphazard parking, lack of a wet waste dumping site, besides major issues of off-shore casinos in River Mandovi and the St Inez Creek. Also among the major problems he faces would be to find a permanent solution for appropriate traffic management plan and to tame the traffic chaos that irks all those treading through the roads, lanes and by-lanes of Panjim.
This is a long-pending issue and ironically not much effort has been made to resolve it, even as BJP government unveils its magnanimous plans to take Panjim forward through smart developments.
Though the municipal corporation collects garbage from the doorsteps daily, there are still mounds of garbage visible at random street corners, making the Capital city unsightly to residents and visitors alike. A casual round in the city’s municipal market will give one a perfect example of the mismanaged garbage system, not to mention the foul stench emanating from the heaps of uncleared garbage.
A huge dump of garbage with unbearable stink welcomes the people entering the capital city. At Divja Circle, which is barely 100 metres from St Monica jetty, a tourist attraction, a garbage dump is slowly being developed with authorities turning a blind eye and completely ignoring the developing environmental hazard.
The decade-long Bainguinim waste treatment plant project seems to be heading nowhere. What is interesting to note is that the city, which generates almost 30-40 tonnes of waste daily, has no garbage dumping site of its own nor has any treatment facility.
Parrikar, who not only ruled Panjim for last 22 years but also became Chief Minister on three instances, has done nothing to resolve this issue, which is affecting the people as well as giving bad name for the city. Parrikar managed to come up with a solid waste treatment facility for coastal belt, while ignoring the issue that seems to be consistently haunting the capital city.
Management of waste is a critical issue because of its adverse effect on all sectors. It would therefore be the endeavour of Government to make Goa Garbage free by 2020.
ST INEZ CREEK:
The historical St Inez Creek, running right from Caranzalem to behind Old GMC complex, has been crying for attention for decades.
While on one hand government talks about developing Panjim as Smart City, ironically the creek remains highly contaminated, devoid of oxygen and aquatic life, and stinks leading to severe environmental pollution. Political pressures have forced local authorities not to act upon the huts and shanties, located along the bank of the water body, that release sewerage into the creek. It is a known fact, that occupants of these huts are vote bank of politicians.
The cleanliness and beautification of this project is a promise made by the candidates in their manifesto for every election. However, after being elected, the creek and its interlaced issues stand isolated and neglected. The contamination of the creek is one of the main causes of over-flooding in low-lying areas of Tonca and Camrabhat.
OPPOSITION CHARGE:
The creek is completely neglected. Government or the local MLA has failed to take any steps towards beautification of the creek.
PARRIKAR’S RESPONSE:
It is already under process. We have taken presentation from six companies. It has an extensive work; all sewage connections in the city have to be linked. Sewage plant is also new. I will personally monitor that things are done in proper manner.
Shifting the off-shore casino vessels out of River Mandovi was one of the major poll promises of BJP in 2012, a promise that attracted the voters to a large extent. But, interestingly, BJP did not make any mention of it in the 2017 election, by which time it had already granted three extensions to the casino operators to relocate to an alternative site.
The City has around five operational off-shore casinos. Panjimites are strongly opposing the casino culture in their city, irrespective of the fact that their own MLA is part and parcel of the government that granted extensions after extensions to these casino vessels to operate.
If one remembers in 2011, it was Parrikar who had led a mashal yatra opposing casinos in River Mandovi. But today, the Parrikar-led government is working out a policy to convert these casinos into land casinos.
There are reports by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) that River Mandovi is getting polluted due to the discharge of waste by casinos into the river water.
Casino lobbies are funding BJP during elections. Casinos are ATM for the BJP government. Everyone knows the promises made by Parrikar and BJP on casinos and the several U-turns thereafter
There are some problems created for Panjimites due to casinos parking.
I have issued directions that parking should be strictly managed and I believe the casinos have directed their customers to park at multi-level parking, including staff vehicles.
While parking vehicles in residential locations, the tourists also are used to urinating in the public causing nuisance, which would be removed and as I have promised three years down the line the off-shore casinos won’t be there. Three years I am indicating as a time-line; exact date will be finalised after elections when we hold meeting with them.
After elections, the 2013 Act will be enforced and Goans will be barred from entering casinos from September.
On casino issue per se, I think there is no issue raised by locals. This is my experience, they may have an opinion but Panjimites do not consider casino as a very serious issue for them. Maybe they are satisfied by my reply in the assembly.
One heavy monsoon shower and certain areas like the approach road to Miramar, the road outside the police headquarters and the bus stand are flooded with water.
In the Mala area, the problem is more complex and experts say that constructions have blocked the flow of water which then finds its way into the low lying areas of Mala.
According to sources, the people who knew the layout of the underground storm water drains and cross drains have retired or been transferred and there is almost nobody in the PWD who has any knowledge of them.
Fifteen years back, Miramar area used to flood every year, today it isn’t. Now the flooding at certain points is not because of proper drainage per se, though there are some drainage issues which we are working on.
Panjim is on the bank of a river so tidal influence is always there. So if there is heavy downpour during high tide flooding just cannot be totally avoided but the water-logging gets cleared in three hours.
In the first rains plastic chokes the drains, it is not exactly flooding, except few places in Mala.
Also, 100 per cent solution in low areas is almost impossible.
For example in Mala we have got pumps which drain water out but even those pumps have limitation you cannot have 50000 cu meter pumps. Even if it is flooded, water subsides in two-three hours.
