SAFE MAPUSA PITCH: Members of Together For Mapusa outside the Mapusa Municipal Council after submitting a memorandum to Chief Officer Kaushik Desai on Tuesday.
MAPUSA
Raising serious concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in Mapusa, civic group Together For Mapusa has demanded the immediate installation of AI-enabled CCTV surveillance cameras, a safety audit of abandoned and dilapidated buildings and a comprehensive city safety plan.
In a memorandum submitted to Mapusa Municipal Council Chief Officer Kaushik Desai on Tuesday, the group said the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl from a poor street-hawker family had once again exposed the vulnerability of women, children and other citizens in public spaces.
The group pointed out that the incident could not be viewed in isolation, citing a series of criminal incidents in the city, including repeated burglaries, daylight robberies, the murder of a goldsmith and a burglary at a doctor's residence.
It also referred to complaints and media reports about alleged prostitution activities outside bank premises and other public places.
The organisation demanded that the council disclose the status of funds allocated or sanctioned for CCTV installation and explain the delay in implementing the project.
It sought cameras at vulnerable junctions, market areas, bus stands, parking lots and other sensitive locations, with the surveillance network integrated with the Mapusa Police Station.
The memorandum also called for a ward-wise survey of abandoned and unsafe buildings, notices to owners to secure such premises and sealing of structures wherever legally permissible.
Seeking transparency in the regulation of street vending, the group asked the council to disclose whether the Town Vending Committee was constituted and functioning, along with details of its members, meetings, vending surveys and designated vending zones.
It further urged the council to convene a joint meeting with the police and district administration to prepare a comprehensive city safety plan covering street lighting, police patrolling and monitoring of vulnerable areas.
Signed by president Mahesh Rane and general secretary Jitesh Kamat, the memorandum sought a written response and a time-bound action plan, warning that authorities must act preventively rather than wait for another crime or tragedy.
