PANAJI
From St Inez junction to the Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services, through the internal lanes of Panaji city, the dug-up roads around Gracia de Orta municipal garden and beyond, as well as the entire stretch from the Panaji Church to Mahalaxmi Temple; the High Court Justices left no area unchecked.
Residents and business owners had a semblance of relief as Justices led by Mahesh Sonak and Valmiki Menezes personally oversaw the Smart City works after concluding all the hearings in the Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday.
Around 5 pm, the Justices were on the ground for a reality check as tensions were palpable among Smart City officials who were seen nervously explaining the works to the visiting team. Other officials and police security also accompanied the team to ensure unhindered inspection and a smooth traffic flow.
While some locals including businessman Manoj Caculo were quick to bring to the notice of the Justices the never-ending haphazard works executed by the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited, Justice Sonak also observed excessive use of water to clear the roads of dust prior to their visit.
It is learnt that Justices remarked that while officials tried to alleviate the dust on the ground by sprinkling water, the dust accumulated on the trees was notably visible. “The Justices directed their attention to the trees pointing at thick layers of dust. There is immense dust pollution,” said one of them, accompanying the visiting team.
Caculo expressed frustration that projects are not being completed even after two years, which has significantly impacted big and small businesses.
“Officials have made false claims. I suggested to the Justices that officials should face consequences or receive clear directives if they fail to meet the deadline this time. We have gone through the suffering for over two years, and no official is willing to take accountability,” Caculo said speaking to the media after his interaction with the Justices during the inspection.
While hailing the High Court for personally monitoring the issue, he also brought to the notice of the Justices arbitrary closure of roads by the authorities without the Collector’s order. "They acknowledged severe pollution levels here,” Caculo said, quoting the discussion between the Justices and the IPSCDL officials.
With water sprinkled to keep the dust grounded on roads ahead of the visit, Caculo alleged that this added to the fear “ breeding of mosquitoes. “Water is sprinkled on muddy patches,” he added.
The Justices also pointed out some non-guarded excavation at certain stretches etc that could lead to inconvenience and dangers to the public.
While several residents and business houses welcomed the inspection, IPSCDL CEO Sanjith Rodrigues appeared visibly upset when questioned by the media about the temporary fixes, which ended up erroneous.
“Treat allegations at your level…Our work is being done. We are following the schedule. I am not bothered about people (not bothered about people complaining/alleging). We are working as per the schedule. Allegations don’t affect us,” he responded to media queries after the inspection.
Ironically, after the inspection, a motorcyclist fell into a trench at St Inez, fortunately without injuries.
