When will miseries of
Panjim come to an end?
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The state government has reportedly made operational a dedicated WhatsApp and group to address the concerns of residents affected by the construction of the Porvorim elevated road. This was in response to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the residents of Porvorim on the traffic congestion caused by the elevated corridor project on NH-66 and the issue of blocked sewage and drainage systems.
The PIL had reportedly sought that the state government conduct a comprehensive audit of road infrastructure, and address safety deficiencies. It is learnt that the initiative aimed at addressing grievances of the elevated corridor in Porvorim has turned into a logistical nightmare for the Public Works Department (PWD).
The helpline has been inundated with calls and messages creating more problems than solutions. Be that as it may, residents of Panaji and those visiting the city had to go through untold misery due to the Smart City works for several months as a result of traffic congestion, dust pollution, lack of signage, safety concerns, etc.
The road digging is still continuing. Why was a dedicated WhatsApp and group not made operational to address the concern of residents affected by the Smart City works who are still affected by the mess? Is filing a PIL absolutely necessary for the authorities to take note of the inconvenience people in the capital city are going through?
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Stop killing the
golden goose
On December 31st, 2024 a tourist group from Andhra Pradesh was allegedly assaulted at Calangute by a shack owner, his son and staff, over a petty issue of food not being served beyond the closing hours. Unfortunately a one young male tourist died. On Jan 3rd 2025 at Calangute, some tourists from Mumbai were attacked when while walking near the shack they accidentally collided with a clothes’ drying stand.
Presuming to be robbers, the shack employees and security guards beat them up. One tourist suffered serious head injury (O Heraldo Jan 4). On Jan 5, a brawl occurred at Mandrem between owners and employees of two shacks over a valid entry wrist band (O Heraldo Jan 6). These are recent examples, perhaps there were many unreported incidents or hushed up in the past.
The Goa tourism industry and the government have encouraged new tourism packages: cultural, heritage, cruise, wellness, etc. But now a trend of “thrashing tourism” involving tourists and shack owners have emerged. Reportedly, Goa is gaining a bad reputation in national and social media due high prices charged by hotels, restaurants and taxi drivers, inflated food billing at shacks, poor local transport, lack of amenities in public places, tourists cheated in various ways etc.
Some of these are common at most tourist destinations, whether domestic or international, but this does not absolve Goa’s tourism stakeholders of their responsibilities. What is needed are training of the shack owners and employees in courteous behaviour, advice them not to take law into their hands, prominently display and inform the tourists that food and drinks orders would be closed half-hour before closing time, install CCTVs and an emergency alarm connected to the local police stations for any eventualities. Let not the golden goose of tourism be killed by unsavoury elements and events.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Unemployment rate
is soaring in nation
Currently, the problem of unemployment is rampant in India. Many educated people are graduating with degrees but are jobless. According to statistics, in 2024, one person out of every 11 is unemployed. This means that the unemployment rate is 9.2 percent. If we review the last 15 years, generally, the unemployment rate was around five and a half percent from 2008 to 2019, then the Corona pandemic came.
As a result, it went up to eight percent and has been increasing continuously since then. In fact, young people are said to be the pride of the nation. But today’s youth are in search of jobs. This is a very big problem. Today, many young people go abroad for jobs. However, there is also a requirement of high educational qualification. In fact, in such a situation, the government should focus on creating jobs. Instead, recently, different governments in India have been bringing forward many schemes that give people free money. Naturally, this will increase the tendency to earn money without working hard. Instead, the government should provide various jobs to such unemployed people.
Shantaram Wagh, Pune
Quakes are a cause
to worry about
The earthquake which hit Tibet, and left Nepal unnerved, leaving more than 150 dead and nearly 200 injured, should be warning bells for urban planners of India. Repeated incidents of earthquakes in regions close to India is indeed a cause of worry; but the future prediction of the experts is scary which should keep the Indian government and the people on their toes.
According to the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), approximately sixty per cent of India’s land mass is prone to earthquakes.
Since earthquakes cannot be forewarned, an anticipatory defence and perfect planning are keys to mitigate the after effects of the quakes. The interconnected land plates between India–Nepal–Burma appears to have rendered the Northeast and eastern parts of India extremely vulnerable to quakes.
The previous quakes, especially the ones in Nepal, have left the plates fragile and weak willing to crumble. The building code to be adhered by architects have gone for a six resulting in catastrophic possibilities for all those under the danger seismic zones.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
