Sadly, very sadly, the present is no match for the past. Sadder still Campal, doesn’t allow you to forget the past either The residents, many of them senior citizens, who have seen the glory days, live a reality that suffocates them.
Haphazard parking of vehicles, garbage and empty liquor bottles have become a common sight at the heritage Campal precinct with residents battling hard to reverse decline of the ‘conservation zone’. The residents are often at the forefront to safeguard the future of the Panjim’s most beautiful vicinity including the F L Gomes Garden.
The inhabitants have severely criticized improper parking of vehicles and waste strewn all over. The garden’s deteriorating condition has been another concern.“Tourist buses, film shooting vans are indecently parked in the lanes… Some of them cook food in open, litter the place and go back.
We later clear the garbage. They also park right in front of our gates and other main entrances,” Corporation of City of Panaji’s (CCP) deputy mayor
and Campal resident Kabir Pinto Makhija said. With no proper parking plan for the entire city, lack of parking spaces and increase in the number of vehicular traffic, the homes in the heritage precinct are practically under siege. The Campal Residents’ Association (CRA) has frequently complained about the menace but, they say, government is barely heeding to their requests to solve the problems.
“Government is doing nothing. We have been asking for proper pay parking. Many commercial buildings don’t have parking space which is why the cars are parked in our locality. We cannot raise any objection to this but we are facing multiple problems because of the foolishness of successive governments,” alleged Managing Director of Heritage Jazz and CRA member Armando Gonsalves.
A signboard prohibiting parking of heavy vehicles has been of little help. Another member Patricia Pinto echoes a similar view while also arguing that safety of the heritage structures and that of the residents have been thrown to the wind. “Not only do windows have to be kept shut but curtains are drawn the entire day and night as quite often than not, huge buses are parked outside, windows with busloads of tourists getting a free sight of the interiors of the house and movement of its residents,” she added. “Come 9 am (office time) and the houses are surrounded by cars, pickups, buses and even military trucks.
This scenario continues till 7-8 pm. It sometimes
becomes difficult for the residents to get access to
their own house.”
Kabir, who has been pursuing the matter with
the concerned agencies, disclosed they had made
futile requests to the authorities to park vehicles
near Bhagwan Mahavir Garden.
It is not only the issue of parking and safety
alone. Wastes out of cleaning,
washing and repairs of the
vehicles are flowing in the gutters.
This, they attribute to lack of
‘foresight and horrible planning’
by Town and Country Planning
authorities coupled with zero enforcement of the
law by all concerned authorities.
The residents are also upset that some
people urinate on compound walls and trees;
and dispose liquor bottles, paper and plastic
waste in the garden. “We need constant police
patrolling to shove away anti-social elements
from the garden. They stare at people and girls,
threatening our personal security,” Armando said,
suggesting that a citizen warden – having powers
of police, will solve the issue to a larger extent
and restore the area’s sanctity. “Be it parking of
vehicles or people visiting the garden, we have
no objection at all. It would not be too much to
expect a little bit of concern from the government
and city administrators to restore sanity to the
parking mess in the precinct so as to maintain the
aesthetics of the area and more importantly safety
of the residents,” Patricia commented.
This conservation area did enjoy a sense
of peace and quiet till about a decade ago. The
residents have not given up their mission as
they assert to continue fighting to preserve the
heritage image.
