After a concrete slab from the ceiling of the fish market in Ponda collapsed, the locals and vendors have urged the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) to conduct a survey of old dilapidated buildings in its jurisdiction that need urgent repairs or reconstruction.
The old dilapidated buildings are the PMC’s Shastri Hall building, PMC Fish Market building in the town area and the Usgao PDA Market, which are all in a dangerous condition.
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The Ponda fish market for instance, is a 34-year-old ground plus one storey building that is in a dilapidated state.
Not only are there other concrete slabs in danger of falling down, the beams of the shed are also rusted, there are rusted iron roads protruding out both on the ground floor and first floor. For perspective, there are over 100 vendors operating from this building and they have demanded that they be shifted out of the fear that the building could one day collapse on them, thereby putting their lives and goods at risk.
It may be recalled that the PMC Chairperson Ritesh Naik along with municipal Chief Officer and engineer had inspected the fish market shed. After hearing the grievances of the fish vendors, Naik stated that experts would soon conduct a stability test of this building. He also allayed fears that the vendors had and pointed out that they will be shifted in the future as there are plans to construct a new Palika Bazaar by demolishing old sheds in Market including the fish market shed.
He also added that there are similar plans to demolish the 50-year-old PMC’s Shastri Hall building and to construct a new project in its place.
It is to be noted that the Shastri Hall is a ground plus two storey building and it also houses a library. However, the biggest concern here is its location on the roadside. To tackle this issue, the Goa Engineering College (GEC) had sent its structural assessment team to conduct a stability test, which recommended its demolition.
At present, although PMC has vacated the first floor premises by shifting the library at the new market complex. But there are still some vendors conducting business in the shops on the ground floor shops.
It learnt that there are some unresolved issues between them and PMC over shifting or vacating shops to other locations. However, concerned locals have urged the PMC to get to the bottom of this and resolve this matter urgently before it is too late for everyone.
Elsewhere, in the Ganjem-Usgao panchayat area, there is the 30-year-old PDA market at Tisk Usgao, which needs attention. For the last couple of years, more than 100 vendors, who operate from these premises, have been demanding that they be shifted and a new market is constructed.
Concrete pieces and the ceiling of the roof are dilapidated and could fall down at any time and the beams of the shed are rusted too, thereby posing a risk to vendors and customers. It may be recalled that this matter had come to the attention of the SGPDA which had sanctioned some funds for urgent repairs.
