The incessant digging and other work in Mapusa has made the small town an infamous one, for now. Recent reports suggest that the pollution levels in Mapusa are the highest in Goa. The Goa State Pollution Control Board figures state that, from April 2015 to March 2016, Mapusa had the highest concentration of particulate matter among the five big towns in Goa, also exceeding limits for particulate matter concentration. The GSPCB figures show a concentration of particulate matter of 79.70 micrograms per cubic metre of air. This is way higher than the annual limit of 60. In contrast to Mapusa levels, Vasco, the previous highest polluter had levels of 60.57, Panaji was 64.85, Margao at 53.88 and Ponda at 44.58, the lowest polluting town in Goa.
The road work and other construction in Mapusa has taken its toll on the town. This has been going on for far too long, causing traffic jams and congestion in the town. The authorities have to now take a call regarding bus routes, perhaps working out ways to divert local buses away from the centre of the town and also perhaps relocate the bus stand, for local and outstation buses, away from the heart of the city.
To solve Mapusa pollution woes, there needs to be proper planning. With the deputy chief minister and urban development minister as the local MLA, this shouldn’t be too hard.
