Mapusa market merchants to raise ODP objections
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
PORVORIM, APRIL 29
The merchants of Mapusa market are distressed with the Mapusa Outline Development Plan 2010 (ODP), prepared by Town and Country Planning department, and have decided to raise their objections to it.
Addressing a press meet, President of All Goa Merchants Federation Narayan Karekar said the Mapusa Outline Development Plan 2010 has not been prepared properly and there are numerous faults in regard to Mapusa market in particular.
“In the first place, the main drain which is located between the Mapusa market and the wholesale vegetable yard has not been shown in the ODP. This is the most important drain where the water from the market area gets accumulated,” said Karekar.
“Further, a 20-mtre wide road in the market has been shown in the ODP. If this road is constructed in the market, then some of the stalls will have to be demolished.”
“It appears that there is a hidden agenda of some businessmen to convert the fields in the vicinity of the market and construct buildings there, for which the provision of a road through the market has been made in the plan,” Karekar added.
“Hence, the Mapusa merchants have decided to register their objections with the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) and the Town and Country Planning Department and if no alterations are carried out in the existing ODP, we will be forced to agitate,” warned Karekar.
President of Mapusa Merchants Association Yeshwant Gaundalker said the Mapusa market gets flooded during monsoon even it rains for as little as 30 minutes, as the outlets of the drains have been closed.
“The Mapusa market was built before Liberation and there was a provision of drains in front of all shops and water would flow from the outlets of the drains to the main drain. Since the outlets of the drains have been blocked, the market easily gets flooded,” said Gaundalker.
“Now, the MMC plans to hot-mix the internal roads of the market. If the roads are hot-mixed, the height of the roads will increase by at least 33 mm and during rains, water will enter the shops in line with the present roads,” he added.
“Hence, we have decided to request MMC not to hot–mix the roads unless the drains are cleaned properly and outlets are opened to allow the flow of water into the main drain,” said Gaundalker.
