October 20, Tuesday, will go down as a day of a narrow escape for the citizens and public property in Margao.
The vehicles unclaimed, abandoned, scraped and dumped alongside the Margao Eastern Bypass were up in flames, thus causing normal traffic along the garbage-strewn, potholed stretch of the national highway come to an abrupt halt during the peak day-hours, the pedestrians and motorists ducked for cover as the inferno emerged, sending thick black clouds of smoke up in the air and into nearby commercial establishments, houses and residential buildings.
Panic and chaos reigned even as the Margao fire brigade saved the day with their prompt action in putting off flames which threatened to get into a massive fire on the busy Margao outskirt.
The issue of Margao’s roadside abandoned vehicles, garages, scrapyards is as old as the 26-year-old political career of the Margao MLA. Yet, no thought or action has ever been initiated in this direction. The lethargy, is seen as a degree of corruption has been going on, “chalta hain” attitude that prevails in the commercial capital of Goa.
So many Margao Municipal Council (MMC) chief officers and chairpersons have come and gone, so also the collectors and other authority. The ever so efficient Margao Town Traffic Police (almost three to five of them literally pounce on a biker without helmet) as also the Road Transport Authority (RTO) have not acted upon maintaining obstruction-free roads in Margao, including a section of the national highway.
The stray dogs, cattle, animal carcass, tender coconut shells, used-bulbs, tubelights, plastic, sanitary pads, baby pampers, hospital waste along with the roadside milk vans, towing vehicles, driving school cars, private passenger buses, road contractors vehicles including a JCB, road roller and bitumen heating machine, vegetable and fruit vendors dot the sidelines of the Eastern Bypass road, a busy vital link from Fatorda Highway Bypass to Margao and Navelim.
Unlike cattle and stray dogs that dot the garbage dumped along the bypass, most abandoned vehicles sport number plates, making the policing easy, but no zeal from any authority has been witnessed.
Recently, the new MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fermandes has been on his feet, despite his disability, is seen conducting inspections in the hot October sun, issuing orders to restore normalcy in a long-standing “jungle raaj” Margao has been and in his purview also came the issue of the vehicles parked, abandoned by their owners along roadsides and causing obstructions to the pedestrians and motorists too.
That the MMC CO has set the ball rolling as early as last Friday displaying a list on the MMC notice boards of identified abandoned vehicles in the town within the MMC jurisdiction, is welcome. The proactive CO has also gone a step ahead by sharing the list to the Transport Department and got the Margao Town Traffic Cell to acknowledge the same.
Strict action and monitoring on this front by the respective law-keeping authorities through stakeholder coordination is long-awaited by the citizens.
There are many vehicles in Margao town abandoned by the roadsides, needing urgent authority intervention to be cleared to ensure footpaths for the tax-paying pedestrians and motorists are safe to venture.
Some of the parked vehicles along the Aquem-Alto, Rawanfond roundabout near Power House are allegedly used for nefarious activities and a former councillor has been involved in protection and “haftha” collection, the locals allege, who fear drugs and prostitution could be carried on from the parked trucks and lorries that are regularly parked, causing a major hindrance to the motorists.
We hope in the days to come, the authority will act, and no more roadside abandoned vehicles will catch fire and more infernos avoided along the town roads and highways. Cause every time, the situation may not favour lady luck to spare lives or property lost in the fire. May the authorities who have been caught napping till now act.
Meanwhile, the Madgaonkars await a better town atmosphere to live in.
