After the painful news about the serial bomb blast in Sri Lanka recently, we need to take preventive measures to check on certain suspicious elements who come to the state. Goa could be the next easy target if precautions are not taken seriously. Besides religious places, hotels and tourist spots, the Goan markets too need to have surveillance by the security force besides the local police personnel.
I would like make a special mention towards Mapusa market, where people flocks to do their ‘purument’ shopping this season.
This market is always crowded by the vendors and customers. I recollect, in the past the municipality used to keep strict vigil on day to day happenings in the market. They saw that the distant between two shops or a shop and a kiosk was maintained so that in case of emergency a fire tender could easily drive in the market and reach the troubled spot. But of late the system seems to be different altogether.
The present council is busy sharing the CP’s musical chair in turns to satisfy their personal gains. Every new CP who occupies the chair is least bothered to check the state of affairs of the market. With vendors occupying every inch, there is hardly path for people to walk. And to make matters worse, the two wheelers are freely zooming in the market even on Fridays (the traditional Bazaar day).
One fails to understand how a Fire tender would enter the market , with a huge space marked for parking of two-wheelers in the heart of the market near Shakutala fountains which is the landmark and attraction of Mapusa Town. And the parking goes beyond the marked area which is an unimaginable eye sore. The CCTV cameras which were installed during the present council’s tenure in and around the market are just show pieces which do not function at all.
Hope the municipality jointly with police authority will regulate things so that there is easy access to the market. This will also help to maintain and keep up the security of this busy market which is always crowded.
