Council officials state that pre-monsoon work is currently underway in different wards but that the market drains and town nullahs are still in need of repair and cleaning.
Locals have complained that for the last six years, the drains on the NH17 highway have not been cleaned. “These drains are critical as they are major waterways. They collect rain water and ensure that the market area is not flooded during the monsoons,” added a local resident.
Locals fear that the nullah has been blocked at several places along NH17 and will be a bottleneck once the season begins if not attended to by the council immediately. “The council has failed to carry out desilting of the two main nullahs and is only doing patchwork. If things remain like this, the market will get flooded,” said a shop owner.
“We have not seen workers doing pre-monsoon work in the market. Gutters and drains are full of mud and are stinking. We made several complains about this mess but council officers and the chairperson tell us that they do not have funds and thus can’t get workers to do such type of work,” said M.Fernandes, a shop owner from Cuncolim.
Officials at the council said that they would attend to the market after completing the pre-monsoon work in all the wards. They blamed the shortage of funds for the slow pace of work and were not able to get workers easily and that they finally appointed thirty daily wage labourers for the task.
Locals also complained about the stench at the Cuncolim fish market and blamed the drains which have not been cleaned and the council that has failed to take any steps in that direction.
Fisherwomen at the market complained that they face difficulty carrying out their business due to the unbearable stench and that many of them have fallen ill due to the unhygienic conditions at the market.
Locals added that the drainage is full of rotten material and sometimes it is the shop owners only who dump their water in the open drain and now it is contaminated. Residents have demanded that the council take immediate steps to correct the mess.
