I stay on a quiet residential 5-metre-wide lane at Dona Paula, where a high rise building with more than 8 floors has come up like an imposter within this rural ambience.
It is a mystery how this high rise building has been permitted as per the Town and Country planning guidelines (TCP) in this area which has an approach road just 5 metres wide and where issues like ground water, parking, electricity supply, etc, are already major issues.
Confusion has been created for the residents to know which jurisdiction the building falls, panchayat or municipality as there is a common road between them.
It is high time the BJP government of Pramod Sawant stops this menace. It is vital for the preservation of life as we know it, that the ODP line is not moved just to line pockets.
It is pertinent to note that our new Urban Development and TCP Minister needs to take steps to verify the disparity and ensure that such unsustainable structures do not disturb the rural ambience still present at Dona Paula. The basic everyday lives of the local residents should not be offset by the concrete jungle threatening to mushroom in the whole of Dona Paula.
Most of these constructions have no proper parking and will affect and further cause traffic congestion everywhere. This is especially going to be a problem at the slope nearing the circle where the Tourism department has taken up a huge project for a tourist bus stand. Vehicles approach this slope at high speed from both ends not realising or caring that there are roads that feed out into this slope in a rather dangerous way.
Already a number of accidents have taken place. I’m not sure if this area needs more traffic lights, and a traffic circle, or both. I believe there are plans to put a camera up near the circle but that would only work as a deterrent to regular travellers who are not the main threat as they are aware of the dangers of this area.
I have been given to understand that the present City Corporation of Panaji (CCP) Commissioner has deployed a number of trucks to fill up a private property to widen this slope. This instruction appears to be an eye wash for a few residents as there exists a travel agency and residential houses in the same line where filling is going on and it is unlikely to make a difference although one can hope for the best.
This slope has been a hazard for years and I am sure the new Urban development and TCP Minister will have a big responsibility to solve this perennial problem. The traffic department so far could not set it right as major departments would need to be involved to address this successfully. All this time the Taleigao Panchayat did not also find a solution.
Let’s hope the best from our new TCP Minister.
