Team Herald
PANJIM: A structural audit report of the Panjim municipal fish market submitted by the Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi, has cautioned that the structure may collapse partially or fully to any additional load due to heavy rains, earthquake and wind-borne vibrations and which may create irrecoverable loss to public life.
The building is not fit for rehabilitation and retrofitting also and unsafe, the report stated.
The report was submitted by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) before the High Court of Bombay at Goa, which was hearing a writ petition filed by nine evicted meat vendors from the fish market building.
The CCP told the Court that it will build a shed near the market (in front of Royal Foods) and rehabilitate fish vendors. However, it declined to rehabilitate meat vendors citing lack of space.
The petitioner’s lawyer Adv Rohit Bras De Sa said that this was a pick and choose strategy by the Corporation and meat vendors were unreasonably targeted.
The report prepared by GEC professor (Dr) Ganesh Hegde stated that no maintenance of the building was carried out at least for the last five years. It stated that the occupants/fish vendors be informed and advised to be cautious since the density of public was always more in the fish market and any untoward incident of partial collapse or damaged walls, chajjas and slab may create irrecoverable loss of public life.
The Court has now asked the CCP whether it can rehabilitate nine meat vendors and posted the matter for next hearing on September 25.