CURCHOREM: Visitors to Curchorem town have found themselves faced with an awkward situation, as getting to the nearest useable and decently maintained public toilet in and around Curchorem market is next to impossible.
This is the deplorable situation that confronts visitors around the Curchorem market, prompting an angry Curchorem Market Association President Anil Kamat Maad to accuse Curchorem-Cacora Mnicipal Council (CCMC) of doing little for the welfare of the people.
“The CCMC has been only collecting money and has not done anything for the welfare of the people. There is no proper sanitation and no public toilets. The two toilets built earlier are not functioning as they are not maintained properly,” he said.
A trader, Dyneshwar Khanekar, said the traders as well as customers have been facing difficulties. “Men can answer to nature’s call at any nearby open space, but what about females,” asked Khandekar.
Expressing similar views, another trader Fulao Fernandes said: “The development like municipal garden, drainages, a fish market and a municipal building had been initiated when the area was a panchayat and nothing has been done after the panchayat was upgraded into a municipality.”
Maria Adelia Fernandes, an accountant at a local higher secondary school expressed concern over the sorry state of public toilets at Curchorem market.
When contacted, CCMC Chairperson Carmelina Fernandes admitted the hardships faced by public due to non-availability of public toilets.
“Very soon, a new toilet will be built near the Central Library. The council is also in the process of identifying new sites to construct more public toilets,” Fernandes told Herald.
Speaking to Herald, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral said new public toilets will be built through Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) by demolishing the existing one near the Central Library and the tender is out.
“More public toilets are planned in the new building, which will come up near the railway station and another at KTC bus stand after shifting the bus stand at the new site,” informed Cabral.
