Located near the city, Panjim the Corlim industry has shifted from being a manufacturing hub to a logistic hub
This is the scene at Goas oldest industrial estate. Piles ofgarbage, narrow lanes, lack of proper lighting facilities, fluctuating powerand many residential buildings are creating a hindrance to manufacturing unitsin the Corlim industrial estate.
The entrance to the Corlim industrial estate one is littered withpiles of garbage. Germania Batteries factory which is located near thetransformer had to shut operations for two days. Satish P Shirodkar owner of GermaniaBatteries said, “We had to repair the transformer at our cost.”
Further down the road,trucks struggle to maneuver through the narrow lanes of the industrialestate. To make matters worse a largeresidential colony is being constructed.
Sai Prasad, President of the industrial estate said, “Theindustrial estates inner road has been shown as the access to property. How canthe Goa Industrial Development Authority (GIDC) give permission to them?”
Another complex coming up on the western side of theindustrial estate is also a matter of concern. Prasad said, “School childrenwill be moving on the same road as trucks and lorries. Accidents may happen.”
The PDA colony located on the fringes of the industrialestate is another issue that estate representatives continuously bring up.Keshav Kamat, proprietor of Kamco foods pvt limited said, “Being an industrialestate, there will be fumes emitted and noise pollution. Residents keepcomplaining. But they should realise that the industrial estate came up in 1966and the PDA colony in 2000. When you build a home near the industrial estateyou should know the consequences.”
Once buzzing with activity, the sheds in Phase I of theindustrial estate are home to stray dogs and overgrown creepers. Most of thesheds are closed now. Anil Kher, MD ofMicro Interconnection whose factory is in the estate said, “Majority of thesheds are being used as godowns for logistic purpose. Not much manufacturing istaking place.” Phase I of the estate looks like a ghost town.
Being the oldest industrial estate in the state, the estatedoes not have proper street lighting. Stray cattle are a perennial nuisance.The GIDC building in the estate is in a dilapidated state. Majority of theunits in the estate have been transferred and are in third and fourth hands.
The industrial estate surely needs one big industrial push.
