Team Herald
PANJIM: Even as the bosses of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) continue to insist that major infrastructure work in the capital is nearly complete, citizens say otherwise. Residents of Panjim have raised serious concerns over the chaotic state of roads, incomplete sewerage lines, and a lack of coordination — symptoms of what many now call a directionless urban project.
Chief General Manager Eduardo Pereira, who is overseeing operations in the absence of CEO and MD Sanjit Rodrigues, stated that 99% of the capital’s Smart City work has been completed. However, the on-ground reality has prompted public outrage, especially as basic infrastructure continues to crumble.
To make matters worse, the unseasonal rains on Tuesday exposed the hollowness of these claims. Several roads that had reportedly been ‘completed’ were waterlogged, pointing to poor execution and incomplete drainage infrastructure.
“The situation is chaotic,” said Advocate Rui Ferreira. “There are dug-up stretches everywhere, unfinished roads, and no clear signage. It’s unclear who is digging, what’s being dug, and for what purpose. The road in front of the Police Headquarters is in terrible shape — extremely unsafe for two-wheeler riders and elderly pedestrians.”
Ferreira didn’t mince words about what he sees as the broader implications of the project: “Smart City is a man-made disaster. It was more about outsmarting the citizens of Panjim than uplifting the city. Public money has been spent, but there’s no visible improvement in our quality of life. In fact, the opposite has happened — the city has been torn apart. It’s like the Union government was busy changing the rupee symbol while ignoring the real economic issues.”
Adding to the chorus of concern, Panjim resident Sanjay Sarmalkar highlighted serious environmental and health risks resulting from the poorly executed sewage system.
“Forget completion — some of the most basic utilities aren’t even functional. Sewerage lines are still not commissioned,”
Sarmalkarsaid.
“In some places, raw sewage is being discharged into stormwater drains and then into the Mandovi River. This sewage should be treated at the Tonca STP, with the final processed sludge used for agriculture. Instead, we have a public health hazard in the making. An urgent sludge audit is the need of the hour,” he said
The failure to complete core infrastructure components, residents argue, exposes the lack of long-term planning and accountability at IPSCDL.
Piyush Panchal, who had earlier moved the Bombay High Court at Goa over the dust pollution caused by Smart City works, urged citizens to stay alert and observant.
“People in Panjim have lived through this debacle. While one spell of rain may not prove everything, we’ve all seen how the project has disrupted daily life. Let’s wait for the full monsoon — that will reveal the actual impact of these so-called developments. After that, it’s up to the people of Panjim to assess whether any of this was worth it.”
Despite repeated promises and polished presentations from IPSCDL, Panjimites are left grappling with half-finished roads, incomplete utilities, and a cityscape in disarray. For many, the “Smart City” brand has come to symbolise a vision imposed without citizen input — a city being rebuilt without regard for those who live in it.
FOCUS SHIFTS TO Panjim‘S BIG
CONCERN — Waste management
PANJIM: Panjim is now shifting its focus to waste management without the use of landfill sites and the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) has received the first instalment of Rs 7.5 crore from the total project allocation of Rs 135 crore for this purpose.
“We are now managing waste without relying on a landfill,” said IPSCDL Chief General Manager Eduardo Pereira. “We’ve begun creating awareness about waste segregation at source in 33 residential colonies, and plan to expand this initiative across all of Panjim. Some colonies are already implementing 16-way waste segregation. Panjim has around 180 residential colonies. There will be no landfill site in Panjim.”
Panjim earned the 18th spot among a pool of 100 cities in the CITIIS 2.0 Challenge by the Union ministry for urban development with its proposal titled ‘AmchiSwachhPanaji – Ensuring Zero Landfill for a Thriving Panaji’.
Last month, a high-level international delegation—comprising officials from the AgenceFrançaise de Développement (AFD), the German Development Bank (KfW), the European Union (EU), and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)—visited Panjim to conduct a comprehensive review of the ongoing implementation of the CITIIS 2.0 programme.