Overflowing gutters, broken muddy roads, over grown trees and electric cables dangerously hanging are a few of Housing Board, Margao’s problems. Mushrooming with houses and notorious for theft and crimes earlier, the area seems to be totally neglected by the municipality. The monsoons have now given Housing Board a similar Cambodia type war torn look.
First time Municipal councilor Bhagewaddi Khutbuddin explains how Housing Board may no doubt be a part of the Margao Municipal Council but it continues to get treated as a part of the Maina, Curtorim and Raia Panchayat and is so neglected by the municipality.
“From Bhatikar School to Ramnagri, the entire road is so bad for years together. The blame entirely lies on the sewerage and underground cabling or the Reliance Jio works. I keep demanding with the municipality to repair the roads but they seem to be least interested,” says Khutbuddin.
“It’s frustrating in a way because, I am forced to run to the Curtorim MLA to get works done as the municipality considers Housing Board as an extension and provides no amenities,” he added.
Similarly Ward no 23 councilor Sugandha Bandekar explains how she’s been haggling with the Chairperson and Chief Officer to get the desilting of the gutters done along the highway but nothing is being done, she claims.
“Every morning in the heavy rains, the hard shoulder of the highway cutting through Housing Board is flooded and inconveniences students. Also the by-lanes are flooded because gutters are not desilted. I can’t imagine why Municipal staff is not deputed to the Housing Board and people’s works are carried out. It appears it was a bad decision to include us in the municipal area. The MMC is far away and looks like they don’t care for the area and the residents here,” explains a furious Sugandha.
“The garbage is not collected daily, dogs enter our buildings and make a mess but the MMC is yet to resolve the garbage collection. Similarly, the MMC has not desilted and cleared many gutters in the area. This causes flooding in the monsoons. It is also rare to see municipal workers cutting overgrown trees in Housing Board,” said Ajay Singh, another Housing Board resident.
