This is with reference of your article Disaster Management Totally Marooned in the O Heraldo July 16, 2023. This is my disgusting experience.
I had complained to the Collector, on Jan 13, 2021, giving my address and phone number, informing that the wall of my neighbour’s house had collapsed, and a wall adjoining my house, was collapsing bit by bit endangering my life and property, that I foresee a disaster and requested that the said wall be demolished. No action came forth on the request.
After 18 months, on June 1, 2022, I sent a reminder to the Collector, once again requesting action.
Soon thereafter, I had the occasion to meet the Dy Collector concerned, and he promised to take action. True to his word, the Collector issued an order dtd. 11-07-2022 directing the Commissioner – CCP to carry out demolition of the wall of the said house under sections 33 & 34(k) of the DMA 2005. The order stated that the action should be taken immediately and compliance reported back to the Collector.
But the order had a flaw. Instead of the house no of the neighbour’s house, the order stated that the wall of house No 194, should be demolished. HN 194, is my house, and it is prominently mentioned in my address in my complaint.
The Talathi who had inquired had wrongly reported the site as HN 194, and nobody, till the Collector, noticed the discrepancy.
However, the chalta number of my neighbours’s house was correctly mentioned. I personally visited the Collector’s office and pointed out the error, and sent an email.
I was promised action to rectify it, but the action never came. The CCP has not taken any action on the order of the Collector till today, nor did they point out the flaw in the order to the Collector. When asked information under RTI, the CCP did not give information, even though I paid the money for the copies.
Fortunately the neighbour’s son came in June this year, to construct the wall of his house. I objected and told him to dismantle the wall posing danger. Thankfully, he did it.
However when asked why he had not complied with the order to repair it, he told, that the order was of no consequence, and he had torn, and thrown it away. So it is my firm opinion that the Disaster management in Goa is a Disaster as understood from your article? Nobody respects the order of the Collector.
