Excavation of a 4-metre deep pit near the Margao pick-up stand saw pickup owners and shopkeepers of an adjacent building rushing to the Margao Municipal Council on Thursday, with a plea to initiate action.
The delegation told the Chief Officer Deepali Naik that the excavation work has virtually exposed the foundation and plinth of an adjoining building, thus posing a threat to the building. They wondered how the excavation work was being carried out without barricading the site and without the mandatory signboards, adding that the barricades had surfaced at the site only after a formal complaint was lodged with the civic body.
The United Goans Foundation, which also joined the delegation, told the Chief Officer that the builder has excavated a foundation pit which is around 4 metres deep, exposing the plinth of the adjacent building and putting the structure and the lives of the people at risk.
After giving the delegation a patient hearing and after listening to the municipal engineers dealing with the new construction, Chief Officer Deepali Naik ordered the municipal engineers to inspect the site and ascertain whether the ongoing work has violated the set norms.
She assured the delegation that the municipality will not shy away from initiating action if the ongoing work is being carried out by throwing the rules to the winds.
