Margao city is the commercial capital of Goa where many people, young and old, flock to shop for their necessities. A few years ago, the pavements in the city were beautified with great fanfare by installation of interlocking pavers on the pavements.
However, over the years, most of the pavers are wobbling or have become loose or broken. In many places, there are gaping pot-holes on the pavement.
An unwary pedestrian, who does not look down whilst walking on such pavements, will definitely be inviting trouble by tripping or falling flat on his face on the wobbling pavers or if his foot gets embedded in the gaping holes. Physically challenged people, senior citizens, ladies wearing high-heeled shoes are the ones, who will suffer maximum injuries with fractured limbs in such cases.
The government seems to be keen to fill the orthopaedic wards with such injured patients. It appears that once such beautification is done, no system has been put in place to replace the missing/defective paver tiles. Is it too much to ask the PWD or the maintenance authorities concerned to ensure that a proper system is put in place for periodical inspection of the pavements in the interests of the safety of the public?
