TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: At a time when de-silting of St Inez creek and disposal and treatment of mounting garbage has become the need of the hour, the two crucial projects of Panjim city — development of St Inez creek and modernized solid waste treatment facility at Bainguinim are hanging fire with the implementing agency — Goa State Infrastructural Development Corporation (GSIDC) for over three months now.
In February and April, 2014 the Union Urban Development Ministry sanctioned almost Rs 90 crore for the Bainguinim plant and Rs 19.5 crore for St Inez creek cleaning and beautification under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The government’s failure to execute the work within 24 months (five to six months of which are already over) might once again deprive them of funds.
The Corporation of the City of Panjim, the nodal agency for drafting projects under JNNURM, had in June submitted two proposals –one for St Inez creek and Bainguinim plant, for tendering and execution to GSIDC, considering that the corporation had no technical experts to implement these vital projects.
“It’s been nearly three months since the project documents are pending with GSIDC. As we do not have technical experts we were forced to hand over these projects to GSIDC for tendering and execution,” city Mayor Surendra Furtado told Herald, pointing that a reminder had been moved to GSIDC a fortnight back.
Sanjit Rodrigues, who doubles up as GSIDC managing director and CCP commissioner, is on leave since August 22, thus halting works of the project. While Rodrigues was not available for comment, a senior GSIDC official confirmed that ‘the tender document pertaining to solid waste plant along with the revised cost estimates has been forwarded to the government for approval on July 1’. In case of the St Inez creek, we are in process of drafting the tender document, the official disclosed.
The heavy rainfall that lashed the capital city from August 26, resulted into flooding in Camrabhat and Tonca.
, the areas bordering the creek and gave a wake up call to the administration.
The CCP drafted project includes de-silting, beautification, redevelopment and construction of road, pavement for the creek, beginning from Camrabhat till Campal near old GMC complex.
A five meter buffer zone on the either side of the creek is also proposed. CCP has already obtained required permissions from concerned departments such as Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and Water resources department.
The solid waste facility, where composting of biodegradable waste and recycling plastics will happen, is planned on a 1.10 lakh sqm plot acquired for the purpose four years ago. But, work on the project is yet to take off and the only bit of construction begun is the retaining wall around the plot by GSIDC.
“The Ministry of urban development initially stops financial assistance to projects that are not completed within the specified deadline. The money released also has to be returned if no work is executed,” Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA), the nodal agency for JNNURM, member secretary Elvis Gomes had told Herald earlier. GSUDA has already received first installment of Rs 6 crore from Union Ministry for the Bainguinim plant.
