The monsoons are here with the usual vengeance. The roads have not flooded as yet but it has made itself felt. And yes, the virus is here too sweeping everything in its wake. All this will undoubtedly have an effect on life in general. Standards drop and this is visible. The Panjim market is a classic case in point. What is obvious to any visitor is the rather poor state of the market. Or more specifically the presence of garbage, the leaking walls, and the general sense of the facility being unwashed. Vendors in the market expressed their frustration at the state of affairs. Mohammed Sadik who has a shop selling biscuits, chocolate, and other necessities said water leaking through the gaps was a problem right through the year which would get worse during the monsoon. He said, “We spoke to the municipal supervisor and he came over, inspected and left and the situation remains the same”. Mohammed Iqbal another vendor said it was filthy. He said “The sweepers from the municipality come and sweep but it is just not enough”. Sailesh Naik who has an outlet that sells saris the place is really very dirty. Fogs enter the place, people feed them and they spend their day in the facility. They could bite people and cause a lot of problems. Water, he said was not used to wash the floor and, on several occasions, he had to pay from his pocket to pay people to clean the place. Another owner of an outlet said it was very common to see dog waste on the floor and which would become part of the landscape. Vegetable vendors he said would separate vegetables on that floor which was not a very good practice. Abdul Ghani was highly critical of the entire manner in which the market was being taken care of. He said “There has been no maintenance for four years. Water is leaking and it is a problem. Due to the Corona virus there is a shortage of staff and the garbage outside has not been lifted for a month. Three or four sweepers come every other day and sweep. The facilities are maintained poorly”. I will speak as a common citizen and say that I am not connected with the CCP but I am aware that they are working on improving the situation. Around 70 workers are not working due to the virus but I believe it will all be done before Ganesh Chathurthi. This situation is prevalent all over the city with leaves, branches from coconut trees found all over the place. The situation I am sure will be sorted out soon.
Yatin Parekh Former Mayo
