The tiny State of Goa, with a total area of 3,702 sq kilometres, is the smallest State in the country but has the highest GDP per capita among all Indian States - that’s two and a half times that of the country. The State has been ranked the best State by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators. However, as we march into the year 2020, which also marks the beginning of a new decade, there are various infrastructural requirements, which need to be given priority, given the ever-growing population and vehicular traffic. SURAJ NANDREKAR takes a closer look at the requirement for infrastructure and public transport in next 10 years
Since June 2015, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) and the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) have collected a total infrastructure tax of Rs 2,28,32,95,189.02.
The tax has been collected to provide for potable water, electricity and other amenities like roads, drains, footpaths, sewerage system etc.
While a lot of development has taken place with the Central funds, the State’s contribution seems to be lacking.
With the State struggling to even pay the salaries of its employees, the infrastructure development has taken a backseat after mining ban by the Supreme Court.
While the State’s population is continuously increasing and the tourists continue to flow in, the government needs to develop the requisite infrastructure in the next decade to maintain the standard of the top tourist destination.
Road & Bridge Network
The State of Goa is under constant digging for the last few years. This has been done for the development of various infrastructure projects like the widening of National Highway 17 (66), the recently completed Atal Setu, the third Zuari Bridge or the Canacona bypass.
By and large, the road network from North to South is sorted while the West to East would be settled once the NH4A expansion takes place.
However, there is a need for also looking into the internal roads like State highways and the major district roads. Though the SHs and the MDRs are sufficient for now, there needs to be improvement in the coming 10 years.
Especially, the Chogm Road leading to the tourist’s spot of Baga and Calangute is saturated and becomes a traffic nightmare for both tourists as well as locals during the peak seasons.
The government will also need to look for new bridges along Borim etc.
Water and Power supply
While road and infrastructure development seem to be moving in right direction, water and power supply are the key areas for improvement in the next one decade.
Sources in the PWD and the Power Department claim that the supply infrastructure for both water and power are outdated and needs to be replaced immediately.
The tourist place like Calangute is worst hit due to power and water restrictions. Similar is the situation in Mapusa and Porvorim besides many places in South Goa. Entire South Goa was badly hit during the monsoons due to the breakdown of power lines from Karnataka.
The need of hour is the swift replacement of old infrastructure.
Sewerage network
As the population density increases, treating of sewage in areas is important as it prevents the waste from contaminating ground water.
Hence, Goa needs a well-planned sewerage network throughout the State.
But sources in the Sewerage Corporation say it is facing opposition to at least five new sewage treatment plants (STP), with locals saying “not in my backyard.”
The corporation is struggling to identify land for the STPs, even as 80 to 90 per cent of the pipeline network has already been laid in the case of four plants.
Waste Management
Despite being a tourist place, every place in Goa is seen littered with waste, which gives bad memories to the visitors.
While the waste treatment plant is doing a great job in treating the waste, the one plant is handling just too much.
In the next one decade the State must commission atleast four more such plants – at Cacora, Bainguinim, Sonsoddo etc.
Mopa Airport
While Dabolim is the only airport the State has, it is unable to handle the huge traffic inflow into Goa and the new Greenfield airport at Mopa needs to come up at the earliest in the next few years.
However, the airport seems to have lost somewhere in the litigation with no solution in sight for almost 9 months now.
Developed jointly by the Goa government and GMR, the Greenfield airport located in North Goa district is expected to handle 30-million -passenger traffic when it is fully operational.
The first phase of the airport was expected to be completed in 2020. However, the Supreme Court had stopped work on-site after a petition alleged that thousands of trees were being illegally cut at the airport site by the developers.
Public transport
While Goa is well connected by roads, the public transport system seems to be the worst in the country. The government-run Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) needs a major overhaul to meet the demand in the next decade.
Due to the state Corporation’s inability, public transport largely consists of privately operated buses linking the major towns to rural areas. Hence, residents depend heavily on their own transportation, usually motorised two-wheelers and small family cars.
Goa is the only place in the country whose airport is 95 per cent dependent on taxis with no proper bus service and no metro service.
Seriously, the State needs to look at improving the rail network or water transport to improve mobility.
Also, the night buses are the need of the hour as provided by the other tourist places around the world.
