ANIL SHANKWALKER
ALDONA
It is one of the main market complexes for villages around the region, but the precarious condition of the Aldona market has led to a standoff between the Aldona panchayat and shopkeepers in the market.
Despite having developed at a rapid pace in the last 10 years, Aldona has been struggling to get a good market complex and to make matters worse, the existing market complex, which is used by residents of surrounding villages, has been declared unsafe.
The Aldona market was built by the panchayat in 1971 on the land handed out by the Church on a 99-year lease. As a result of poor maintenance, the plaster has peeled off at many places on the roof and walls, while water has been seeping into the building during the monsoon.
The dangling electricity wires have threatened the lives of shopkeepers and customers in the market. As a result, fisherwomen prefer to sit outside the market to sell their fish, while customers have virtually stopped going inside the market due to unhygienic conditions prevailing in and around the market.
Following a request from Aldona Panchayat, a team from the Goa Engineering College (GEC) at Farmagudi-Ponda had carried out visual examination and testing of the Aldona market and had submitted its report on November 4, 2014.
“Almost all columns have vertical cracks at different levels and have shown distress,” stated the GEC report.
“Hence columns: in turn the first floor should not be loaded with any further construction/addition of workloads. Keeping the safety aspects in mind it is advisable to demolish and reconstruct the building as per existing rules and norms in the public interest, instead of waiting for a catastrophe to occur.”
“As such the existing building does not comply with the present IS code of practice i.e. earthquake design and detailing criteria (IS 1893-2002) which is mandatory for all public buildings. Without any delay, immediate action to be initiated to repair and strengthen existing ground floor and first floor columns,” the GEC report stated.
Acting on the recommendation of GEC, the Aldona panchayat had issued notices to all 30 shop owners to vacate their premises in the market.
However, the decision to demolish the Aldona market has not gone down well with shopkeepers in Aldona market. The shopkeepers, including Udai Tilve, Vasudev Pole, S Haldanker, S Shetye, Dilip Haldanker and Mario Almeida, said their families depend upon the business.
Speaking to Herald, they claimed that the Aldona Panchayat’s letter directing them to vacate the shops has made no mention about temporary alternate premises/reallocation to be allotted to them. The shopkeepers said since they do not have any other source of income for their livelihood, it would not be possible for them to vacate the shops, unless alternative premises are made available to them.
“We have consulted other engineers in this regard and they have opined that the building can be repaired. We have also met local MLA Glen Ticlo, but there has been no action,” said one of the aggrieved shopkeepers.
When contacted, Aldona Deputy Sarpanch Charudatt Panjiker said the panchayat had issued notices to all the 30 shop owners to vacate the premises, based on recommendations of GEC.
“The panchayat plans to construct a new market complex and land acquisition process has started with the assistance of Local MLA Ticlo,” added Panjiker.
