Team Herald
PANJIM: As heavy water logging has turned out to be a major concern for residents and visitors of Smart City, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has blamed it on the “inadequate drainage network”.
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The CCP and Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Corporation Limited (IPSCDL) are at the receiving end of the general public given the flood-like situation in Panjim owing to heavy rains in the last two days. While people have taken to social media to expose the shoddy work, CCP has pointed fingers at the inadequate drainage network.
“Panjim does not have a proper drainage network. There are a lot of issues.
The Goa Engineering College has carried out an entire study and we have also constituted a committee through the Collector to work out a plan. The report cites inadequate drainage network, which among a few others is the main reason for the current situation,” Mayor Rohit Monserrate said while speaking to Herald.
With the poor carrying capacity of the existing drains, six drains built during the Portuguese regime are soon to be revived. These have taken most of the load. Monserrate revealed that four of the six drains, neglected for one and a half to two decades, will soon be repaired. “Nevertheless, minor flooding is being handled”, he added.
Likewise, he referred to a report claiming that Panjim’s daily handling of rains has exceeded owing to which the netizens are facing the current inconvenience.
Conceding that water logging is an annual problem, the Mayor claimed it has been occurring over the years, but added that the committee is chalking out a long-term plan.
Commissioner Agnelo Fernandes has emphasized the revival of Portuguese-era drains. “All the drains are connected to the rivers. During the high tide, the water doesn’t flow out. Besides that, our study has revealed that the existing ones have to be widened and deepened because they cannot carry the load. We will also revive the old Portuguese drains,” he said.
However, former Mayor Surendra Furtado has blamed it on mushrooming constructions, which are granted permissions by authorities concerned without application of mind. He was also quick to attribute the present situation too heavy rainfall and consistent high tide.
“This time it has rained heavily and most of the time, we have witnessed high tide. Nobody can do miracles in such a situation. Now the government has to step in to ensure that flooding is stopped once and for all,” he said. While pointing out that there are an increasing number of constructions at Patto, Furtado said, “The Planning and Development Authority has granted permissions without conducting site visits. With so many constructions emerging, barely any attention is given to the drainage system. The CCP too grants permission. Both CCP and PDA are to be blamed for the current situation we are in.”
Taking a dig at Smart City’s beautification of Miramar beach project, Furtado said that while crores of money are spent on projects like this, it has given a cold shoulder to the drainage system in every flood point.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has said that desilting work is the duty of the municipalities and village panchayats concerned as the department is not involved in this activity. Sources said they are unaware of who should be held responsible for the flood-like situation as several agencies are involved in works of roads, drains, sewerage, etc.
