PANAJI
The sight of a ‘waterfall’ cascading through the crumbling Junta House “ that houses several government offices - during the monsoon and the recurrent malfunctioning of the lift is a familiar nuisance for visitors.
While this is just one instance, in 2021, a portion of a Portuguese-era building on M G Road, near the Chapel of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, collapsed amid relentless rains. In 2020, the iconic Prakash Lodge, another relic of the Portuguese era, succumbed to heavy rains.
These incidents are among several that highlight the precarious state of Panaji, where not one or two but as many as 20 structures are deemed unsafe.
As of 2021, Panaji had 15 unsafe structures. None of these were vacated by their owners or tenants nor are they demolished till date. Three years down the line, the list has grown to 20, including the highly controversial and corroded foot overbridge near Sharada Mandir High School in Miramar.
The authorities have largely ignored this perennial issue, despite the annual monsoon season bringing with it the risk of yet another collapse either in Panaji or elsewhere in Goa.
Sources within the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) revealed that show-cause notices were issued to 18 buildings in Panaji for being unsafe. However, not a single owner attended the subsequent hearings while some owners challenged the notices, arguing there was no authorized stability report.
“These buildings were visually assessed as unsafe, prompting the notices. However, some structures underwent structural stability assessments by Goa Engineering College or Govt Polytechnic College, which confirmed their unsafe status. No owner has vacated the premises or responded to the notices so far,” said a source. The other owners of these premises were also instructed to produce structural stability reports, a directive that has reportedly been ignored.
“If, in the opinion of the Commissioner, any building, wall, structure or anything affixed thereto is in a dangerous state, the Commissioner may, by a notice in writing, require the occupier or owner thereof forthwith either to demolish or remove the building, wall, structure or anything affixed thereto or to cause such repairs to be made thereto as the Commissioner considers necessary for the public safety; and if the danger appears to him to be imminent, he may forthwith take such steps as may be required to avert such danger, including the forcible removal without notice from such building of all the occupier thereof and their property,” the 2021 order by former Commissioner had stated.
Meanwhile, at least three private buildings were also identified as unsafe by their owners, who approached the CCP with reports from authorized agencies.
While the CCP initially showed a lack of urgency in taking up the matter on a war footing, it now plans to resume hearings or re-issue notices, ensuring structural stability assessments through government agencies and appropriate action.
With five more structures added to the list over the past three years, the controversial footbridge is now also marked as unsafe. “We are aware it is unsafe, but as a procedure, structural stability is being assessed, and a report is expected by the end of the month,” said an official.
The fish market also declared unsafe and in urgent need of demolition, remains in its current state due to opposition from vendors. The CCP cited legal hurdles as the reason for the inaction.
As Panaji continues to sit on a ticking time bomb, the call for urgent and decisive intervention has become ever more pressing.
