The surroundings and sanitation at the ongoing Ashtami fair in Panaji reflect a complete disregard for civic duty, especially when thousands of visitors throng the venue amid an air of festivity. While the city fathers brag about its title as the "Cleanest City" in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024-25, the situation at this fair sharply contradicts that acclaim, revealing glaring failures in sanitation, urban planning, and public health management.
This year, the fair has 400 stalls, drawing over 5,000 visitors daily, in addition to the approximately 2,000 vendors manning the stalls — yet, the availability of sanitation facilities is woefully inadequate. Only nine mobile toilets have been made available for such a large crowd, a ratio that is grossly insufficient, to a point that both vendors and attendees have expressed their dissatisfaction with the poor facilities. Vendors have expressed frustration about the challenges of accessing the limited toilets, making the experience uncomfortable and unhygienic.
The fallout of this neglect is obvious as workers have begun to resort to open defecation along the waterfront and in surrounding areas, which not only damages the city's aesthetic but also poses severe health risks. Furthermore, the provided mobile toilets are malfunctioning, with wastewater leaking onto the pavements, creating filthy puddles and increasing health risks. Such circumstances are intolerable, particularly in a city that has recently received praise for its cleanliness, and more especially for a State that boasts about being open defecation-free.
Probably, authorities are not learning from the infamous Cutbona jetty incidents. At the Cutbona jetty, approximately 19 workers have experienced diarrhoea, raising concerns about potential cholera outbreaks. Last year, the jetty made national headlines as there was a cholera outbreak, forcing the government to intervene. Sanitation issues cannot be overlooked, especially at mass events. At the Ashtami fair, the CCP may have increased the stall prices from Rs 6,000 to 26,500, but it has paid no attention to sanitation and the welfare of those at the venue.
The situation at the venue not only contradicts the title of “Cleanest City” but makes a mockery of it. A city’s reputation for cleanliness is not just based on waste management but also on maintaining sanitary public areas. The current conditions at the Ashtami fair do not meet this standard, highlighting the city’s struggle to manage festivals sustainably.
Planning and foresight are essential. Given the event's size and visitor numbers, the CCP should have foreseen the pressure on sanitation facilities. More mobile toilets and restrooms should have been provided. Furthermore, enforcing regulations against open defecation and launching public awareness efforts could have alleviated the present health hazards.
The disorder extends beyond sanitation. Recently, a private bus collided with a stall, injuring three individuals, bringing to light the hazards of poorly organized stall placements and ineffective urban traffic management. The congested and chaotic atmosphere disrupts traffic flow on DB Marg, heightening safety worries. The CCP's response has been limited to routine waste removal, failing to tackle the fundamental issues of overcrowding.
The conditions at the Ashtami fair in Panaji serve as a powerful reminder that urban management needs to progress alongside business. The neglect of sanitation infrastructure at such events is not in alignment with smart cities’ ideals, neither is it anywhere close to the principle of swachhata that the government, both State and Centre, have been promoting. If the city wants to celebrate its cultural legacy and festive atmosphere, it must also prioritize hygiene and safety; only then can Panaji genuinely embody its recognition as a model city.
