PANJIM: In a disaster waiting to happen, the project proponents of the sewerage project as part of the so-called utterly degraded Smart City project, claimed the life of an incident 21-year-old boy from Ribandar. Ayush Halankar. This was perhaps even before he had time to say Happy New Year to his parents, Rupesh Halankar and Arati, both former CCP councillors.
Ayush was killed when his motorcycle crashed through the weak temporary wooden planks, negligently put by the Smart City team as barricades around over a square pit dug for a manhole as a part of the sewerage project of the Smart City white elephant project. Ayush and his two-wheeler fell in the pit and he suffered severe injuries.
The contractor carrying out Smart City sewerage works, did not put a warning sign or the mandatory red lantern to warn motorists at night.
The tragedy occurred near Peoples High School, Mala-Panjim in the wee hours of the New Year Monday morning.
According to the Panjim Police, Ayush was returning home when he met the tragic end. Locals rushed him to a nearby hospital, however, despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries sustained in the accident.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that an inquiry into the death of a youth due to ongoing Smart City works at Mala is underway.
