Parents question MMC’s inaction as students are forced to navigate through uncollected garbage, unsanitary conditions
Fast food handcarts remain stationary at Margao’s iconic old bus stand when the owners are bound to tow away the carts home after business hours.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Margao’s iconic bus stand, located opposite the Margao Police Headquarters, could have served as a crucial solution for traffic authorities to manage vehicle parking —particularly for parents collecting their children from nearby city schools during peak hours.
In the absence of adequate parking facilities around the old bus stand — which is in close proximity to several schools — parents often resort to parking on the streets. This includes areas near the State Bank of India and the post office, where double parking is a common occurrence, further worsening the traffic congestion.
Sadly, a significant portion of the bus stand is now occupied by stationary fast food handcarts, leaving minimal space available for vehicular parking. The remaining area is used by city buses, making the situation even more difficult.
Indeed, the Margao Municipal Council and the powers that be controlling the civic body seemed to have turned a blind eye to the stationary fast food handcarts. As per Municipal licence conditions, fast food operators are required to tow their carts back to their place of residence after business hours. Enforcement, however, appears to be lax.
Consider this. When Margao MLA Digambar Kamat with Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar and Municipal officials had descended at the Old Bus Stand couple of months ago to instil order and discipline at the fast food business area, the MLA sounded categorical that the fast foods owners will have to comply with the licence conditions by taking their carts home.
Kamat’s diktat either seemed to have no takers in the Margao civic body or his instructions are deliberately ignored by the Municipal officials, including the market inspectors for reasons best unknown. The end result being that around a dozen fast food handcarts all remain stationary at the Old Bus Stand, blocking parking avenues for other vehicles.
Unhygienic state of affairs
Students, parents and citizens are literally forced to navigate through unsanitary conditions in the space between the bus stand and the Sulabh toilet block. In fact, a concerned parent wondered what sort of example the Margao Municipal Council is setting to the young minds, who are forced to walk past the waste and unhygienic conditions near the toilet block during peak school hours.
A close inspection of the area reveals the presence of scrap vehicles abandoned at the place for reasons unknown. Similarly, a damaged handcart lies abandoned at the site, throwing up questions whether the Old Bus Stand area has become the dumping ground for junk vehicles and damaged handcarts.
Waste remains uncollected and dumped in front of the toilet block
Strange it may seem, but true that waste is found dumped near the toilet block when the Margao Municipality boasts of employing door-to-door waste contractors for waste collection. Waste stacked in bundles has been lying on the wall, separating the toilet block from the pedestrian pathway. Additionally, waste is found dumped near the toilet block.
