Tackle health hazards on priority

 In such a situation it is equally important that all the roadside chicken centres and restaurants that function till late evening dispose off their food waste in a bigger bin that should be provided to them for a price to ensure that they do not use public bins. It is observed that the lane by the side of Holy Spirit Institute is always found littered with a lot of food waste which is dumped late in the evening and stray dogs feast over it spreading it all over making it difficult for the pedestrians to use the road in the morning and worse still the school bus of Holy Spirit Institute parks just there and the children have to walk over the filth to reach the school. This happens at both the ends of the lane. It is surprising that though this is happening right in the heart of the city, it has not caught the eyes of the sanitary inspector who should ensure that such unhygienic surroundings which are health hazards are tackled on priority – if we mean of the much spoken “Garbage free; ‘chuk chukit’ and a healthy city!

Citizen Anthony J Simoes, Dona Paula

The roads in Caranzalem, Taleigao and Dona Paula are worse than anyone would find in a war-zone. The sewerage infrastructure division of the PWD has been waging a relentless war on the roads in these areas. 

For two years, they have been digging-up some of Goa’s best roads to lay what are allegedly sewage pipes. It is clearly a scam masquerading as an infrastructure project. A Japanese development assistance scheme which goes by the acronym ‘JICA.’, has provided financial assistance of Rs 1,300 crore for improving sewage disposal and water supply in Goa. 

There is a covered storm-drain along the four-lane bypass from NIO circle to Miramar. It was built at a cost of about Rs 11,200 per running metre about 4 years ago. Not one drop of storm water flows through this drain. It was only meant to drain the exchequer for the benefit of local councillors, mayors, panchas and politicians.

The sewerage project in Taleigao, Dona Paula and Caranzalem is an out-&-out scam. Like the storm-drain mentioned earlier, it is a white elephant that will swallow-up Rs 150 crore of JICA funds with zero benefits for the people. 

They have used a 160 mm ID, HDPE pipe at Dona Paula, which runs down towards the Tonca sewage treatment plant. Along the way, it goes below the water-table, which has horrible implications for ground-water contamination. 

To make matters worse, the vertical alignment of the sewage-conveying pipe is, at places, below the level of the treatment plant. 

Citizen Commodore (retd) Gilbert Menezes, via email

I read about the various foreign tours of personnel of the Tourism Department and it disgusts me.  Also, the grandiose plans of our tourism minister to start helicopter and seaplane services in Goa deserve to be condemned.  All this nonsense is being expounded, while the most basic infrastructure is crumbling and collapsing. The enclosed photograph shows access to Sernabatim beach and Benaulim beach.  How can anyone expect tourists or for that matter local senior citizens to descend to these main beaches of South Goa, if this is the present state of the infrastructure. I emphasize that these two collapsed steps are in the same state for the past 2 years!

Citizen Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

The road near the St Andrew’s church and the St Joseph’s school in Vasco happens to be the busiest roads during peak hours as large number of vehicles enter and leave the Port Town. These two roads are prone to accidents. A couple of years back a tanker fully loaded with Ammonia had overturned at the sharp curve.  It is seen that a huge garden separates the two roads opposite the St Joseph’s school. This massive garden is devoid of any greenery as is seen in the photo and thus serves no purpose. It would be in the fitness of things for the authorities concerned to reduce the width of the garden so that the width of the two roads on either sides of the garden will automatically be increased. The increase in the width of the roads will reduce the traffic congestion on these twin roads and prevent accidents. Will the authorities concerned look into the matter and take necessary action?

Citizen Ramesh Shirali, via email

I have visited Goa and I am one of the few unfortunate ones living at GTDC Colva Residency Hotel. The overall ambience, condition of the property, rooms is pathetic. It gives a very bad impression about the governance of GTDC. I am utterly surprised to read in your edition that bureaucrats of GTDC go on foreign visits and fail to understand the reason or outcome. I am attaching some pictures of the condition of the Room No 144 and surrounding, which will explain the condition of the hotel. I hope this will come to the knowledge of the ministry and bureaucracy on what’s happening back home. 

Citizen Daniel F de Souza, Vasco 

On September 11 and 12,  the Lions Club of Mormugao, Vasco da Gama, in association with the traffic cell, of Vasco Police, were organizing a traffic awareness campaign in Vasco as part of the Traffic Safety Week. On September 12, the campaign was organized along the airport road near the State Bank of India. At around 19.15 hours while I was crossing the lane over the ‘Road Divider’ opposite the ‘Prime Harmony’ residential complex, I fell into an unsuspecting deep trench of 3 feet deep with both my legs trapped in the trench. I suffered extensive injury to my left heap and right knee since the trench was deep. I was immediately pulled out from the trench by the police personnel on duty and my Lion members. It was divine providence that I was saved from fractures to my legs or ankles in the sudden fall. I am unable to walk freely due to severe knee joint pain and advised rest and a MRI. The unsuspecting deep trench which was dug in the middle of the ‘road divider’ had no barricading of any kind, or board cautioning the unsuspecting citizens of the grave danger lying ahead. A few minutes later another of my Club member who is a senior citizen and a member of the campaign too fell down into this same trench bruising his knee badly. There are several such trenches dug out on the road dividers along the airport, ostensibly to erect decorative light poles by the electrical division of the PWD.

As given to understand by the senior officer of the PWD, the contractor, one Parsekar from Pernem has acted irresponsibly and neglected the safety of citizens living in this area by not erecting barricades or even a simple reflective tapping around the trench. On the other hand, the PWD has failed to supervisor the on-going contract work undertaken by the contractor. Had there been effective supervision, there would have been barricading done as a safety measure. 

The million dollar question however is, does the department leave the contractors to have a field day and function the way they want without effective departmental supervision? Will this irresponsible contractor be awarded with more contracts in future or will he be black listed by the department for criminal negligence?