Roads are being broadened, hot-mixed, and structures are being relocated for the BRICS summit. However, the first place the delegates are going to land is the Dabolim Airport. Instead of welcoming the delegates and international tourists with flowers, they may be greeted by a huge toilet block and people urinating outside it.
As per available information from Airport Authority of India (AAI) Goa Airport officials, AAI had planned for a public toilet in the multilevel parking facility located right next to Dabolim Airport. However, due to the pending security clearance from Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and considering the demands from the airport users including the taxi drivers operating from Dabolim Airport, AAI erected a toilet block but located the same just outside the arrival gate of the airport. For some time people started making good use to this toilet but due to lack of maintenance by AAI, the users then started using the area around the toilet for urinating, making it an eyesore for all. Surprisingly the AAI remained as a mute spectator to this mess.
“As you step out of the arrival gate of international airport, the first thing what one would see is a huge toilet block which is hardly used by the people and adding to the woe, you would see people urinating right outside the toilet block which is an eyesore and not in the benefit of Goa state which is known as one of the world’s best tourism destination,” said Dabolim-based social activist Vinayak Kumbhar.
Interestingly from NGOs to social activists besides locals from Mormugao Taluka and even the political leaders, including the MLA, Ministers of Mormugao Taluka, agree that the toilet is an eyesore and feel that the AAI’s move to have a toilet in front of the arrival gate is bad for Goa as a tourist destination.
“I feel that the toilet in front of arrival gate needs to be shifted elsewhere immediately. Though I had seen the structure on many occasions but was not aware that the same is used as toilet facility. It is surely a serious issue because the toilet opposite to the arrival gate looks horrible. I will take up the issue with Airport Advisory committee as well as before the AAI and would ask them to immediately shift the toilet elsewhere” said Power Minister and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik.
Even the RDA Minister and Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha, feels the toilet is destroying the image of the international airport.
“Definitely the toilet should not be at the place where it is located. It is the responsibility of AAI to shift the same immediately as people from all over the world have been coming to Goa and the toilet is giving bad image to Goa. The matter should be addressed immediately as Goa would be welcoming the international delegates during forthcoming BRICS summit and the toilet should not be at the first sight for tourists as well for the dignitaries that will be arriving in the state”.
Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho also claimed that the toilet is an eyesore. He said that “The airport authority should seriously think of shifting the toilet elsewhere. I will take up the issue before the AAI and would ask them to do the needful on urgent basis”.
Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, reacting sharply, said: “On one hand we are trying to promote Goa all over the world and on the other hand such a toilet in front leaves bad image for Goa. With BRICS taking place in Goa, I feel that AAI should shift this toilet and should have more people friendly toilets at some other locations”.
Meanwhile when Herald contacted AAI Director B C H Negi to seek his reaction on the location of toilet, he said that “Even we don’t want the toilet to be at the current location, however the same was done as temporary measure. The point raised is genuine and we would try to locate the same elsewhere in close vicinity”.
