There is a flurry of activitiy in and around Panjim. Trenches are being dug for laying of electrical and other cables and pipelines for drinking water and sewage and roads are cemented.
These hectic infrastructure activities are undoubtedly causing hardships to the citizens and even some unfortunate mishaps. But people are taking this suffering in stride as they know that once adequately completed, such work may not be required for the next 25 or even 50 years.
However, we expect the concerned authorities to be sensitive to the inconvenience that is caused to the public.
They can take steps to take people on board and reduce the hardships. Firstly, they should announce through the print media what work is being taken up, where and how long that will take and what alternative routes are open. They should also improve alternate routes as increased traffic will flow from that route. For example, when one passes behind the Ideal school, one turn has an open ditch and uncovered drain. If these were repaired, it could have caused fewer hardships.
The road opposite the Caculo Mall going towards Bal Bhavan, the level difference is about 2-3 centimetres, if a small ramp would have been put in place that would have helped immensely to motorists.
The most critical aspect is how the work can be completed fast. For this, working hours may be increased as per rule and digging may be completed fast by engaging more than one team for the work. Also, the chain of activities should follow, one after the other, as soon as possible.
Presently in Caranzalem, one side of the road is being dug up, probably for laying paver blocks, but there are no signs of activities on that side but the other area is being dug up for laying rubbles. At this speed, surely laying of paver blocks may take more than a month and the public will have to suffer silently. Technically, is it not possible to complete the entire stretch in less than a week, by deploying more workers on the job?
Landscaping, beautification etc are other associated parts of the work, which perhaps are there in the tender and bill for contractors but not on the ground. One glaring example is the work below Atal Setu at Porvorim’s end.
Recently, some developmental activities are noticed there, thanks to the ensuing G20 meet, but for which this would have been certainly ignored.
Let’s hope all ongoing activities will be completed as required before the onset of the monsoon and at least part of Panjim will enjoy a trouble-free four months of monsoon.
