Shifting of the District Collectorate near the KTC bus stand has once again brought to the fore the question of planning in and around the Old Market-Ambaji area. This area today plays host to a number of mega public utility projects, located within a one-km radius. These projects are located right at the entrance to the commercial capital, raising fears of traffic snarls and congestion in the absence of any mechanism to ensure smooth flow of traffic, reports Guilherme Almeida.
The avowed objective behind shifting the District Collectorate to the Old Market area was to decongest the city and ease traffic snarls. It’s a decade now since both the wholesale and retail fish markets were relocated to the new centre of development, while the district hospital is bracing up to follow suit later this year.
In fact, the Old Market area today plays host to a dozen-odd pubic utility projects and offices in and around a kilometer radius ~ ranging from an international stadium to Ravindra Bhavan, bus stand to mega retail market et al.
Shifting and relocation of public utility offices may have helped decongest the town around the Margao Municipal square, but the process has thrown up new problems in and around the old market area, especially on the traffic front, in the absence of planning. Otherwise, just consider this: A derby at the Nehru stadium brings all movement around the area to a standstill. Parking outside the Ravindra Bhavan and the district court building is order of the day for want of adequate parking facilities. Traffic on the KTC Bus Stand-Old Market Circle goes haywire even when a Panjim-bound bus takes the main road from the bus stand. And the Ambaji junction is heading towards traffic congestion with the inauguration of the new Collectorate building.
Says former Fatorda MLA, Damu Naik: “It appears that the government has dumped all these projects in Fatorda without any planning. Their one point agenda was to shift the offices to the Old Market area without proper planning. I was not even taken into confidence when proposing the district Collectorate and hospital projects at Ambaji. During the Portuguese era, the public utility projects lay scattered in the town, but our planners and government have brought public offices near one place.”
He continued: “The government should put a master plan in place to regulate development activities in and around the Old Market area. I had raised the issue of planning of the new area both inside and outside the Legislative Assembly, but in vain”.
His successor and Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai said the government is not serious in planning the Old Market-Ambaji area. They are only interested in only inaugurating buildings. “There needs a total re-look at the entire stretch of road from Nuvem to Old Market. Traffic on this road comes to a halt even a vehicle takes a turn to take an internal road. Just imagine the situation once the district hospital starts functioning. We should have a holistic approach to the emerging situation before bottlenecks strangulate the new centre of development and defeat the very purpose of shifting”.
PARKING REQUIREMENTS
The SGPDA has vacant land admeasuring 16,000 sq mts right opposite the Osia Commercial Complex at Old Market. This area was earmarked for parking, but sadly, the PDA could not develop the same for parking for want of funds. Successive governments only promised the much-needed funds to develop the area into a parking lot, but in vain.
That’s not all. It’s nearly half a decade now since the Margao Municipal Council acquired land along the KTC Bus Stand-Old Market Circle stretch for parking, but monetary constraints have scuttled plans for developing the acquired land for parking.
Ravindra Bhavan has given its nod for two centrally-funded multiplexes costing Rs 28 crore inside the premises. Since these multiplexes are proposed in the open area presently utilized for parking, Ravindra Bhavan has knocked the doors of GSUDA to build ramp parking with a provision for 1,000 vehicles. But the fate of all these three parking projects in and around the Old Market area hangs in balance and will largely depend on government funding.
Public utility projects around the Old Market to Ambaji area
* Nehru stadium.
* Sports Complex.
* Swimming Pool
* Ravindra Bhavan.
* Mega Retail SGPDA Market.
* District and Sessions Court building.
* Osia Commercial Complex (5 buildings).
* KTC Bus stand.
* SGPDA Grounds for exhibitions.
* Wholesale Fish Market.
* Collectorate Building.
PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE
* District hospital
* An ultra-modern bus terminus
* Non-conventional energy park-cum-handicraft mall.
* Two multiplexes at Ravindra Bhavan
* Presentation Convent School.
* Exhibition grounds.
* Building for rehabilitation of gaddas
