Ambitious riverfront development could falter without a bobust framework for acquiring private land
The Margao Master Plan proposes promenades, walking and cycling trails along the river banks.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MARGAO
At a recent presentation of the Master Plan for Margao 2041, Mumbai-based urban planning firm Studio Pod unveiled an ambitious vision to transform the polluted River Sal into an eco-recreational corridor. However, the proposal has raised both hope and concern among local stakeholders and activists, with many questioning its feasibility and lack of ground-level detail.
The consultant proposed strengthening riverbanks and creating riparian landscapes, alongside promenades and walking trails, as part of a broader effort to mitigate flooding and rejuvenate the river. These interventions, they argued, could also serve as revenue-generating avenues through agro-tourism and public spaces.
Yet, glaring omissions in the presentation have sparked unease. Key among them: the plan does not clarify how the agency intends to implement these projects, particularly given that much of the land along the river belongs to private owners, limiting government control. The area to be developed has coconut plantations at some stretches, while hutments and shanties have come up at other points.
This raises questions as well as concerns — whether the consultant wants the government to step in to acquire the land along the river course for the implementation of the projects mooted in the Master Plan.
Adding to concerns, the consultant’s report confirms that the river is heavily silted and resembles only a gentle stream, highlighting Sal’s transition from a navigable channel with flourishing trade to a silted stream.
It’s not just silt that has degenerated Salcete’s lifeline over the years. Rampant discharge of sewage from the commercial capital has made the river one of the most polluted rivers in India. Rejuvenation of the River Sal as per the National Green Tribunal’s directions seems to have not yet helped to revive the river to its pristine glory, due to half-hearted efforts and measures implemented by the government agencies.
Despite hundreds of crores invested in Margao’s underground sewerage system, vast areas remain uncovered, resulting in untreated sewage still flowing into the river today.
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Proposal for River Sal revival as eco-recreational corridor
MARGAO: The Master Plan for Margao 2041 has proposed transforming the River Sal into an eco-recreational corridor, citing the river’s diminished role as a navigable waterway and economic hub.
According to the planning consultants, the river holds untapped potential as a recreational and revenue-generating asset. The proposal includes strengthening riverbanks and developing riparian landscapes to mitigate flooding risks. Plans also feature promenades, walking and cycling trails, and the creation of public spaces and parks aimed at rejuvenating the river and incentivising its protection.
Additionally, the consultants recommend identifying and reinforcing the movement of water across the river, its banks, and floodplains to accommodate seasonal surges and enhance long-term resilience.
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‘A dream being sold to public’: NGO flags gaps in plan, cites lack of local insight
MARGAO: City-based NGO Goyche Fudle Pilghe Khatir (GFPK) has red-flagged the Master Plan for Margao 2041, asserting the plan fails to address the ground realities of a congested and saturated city.
The NGO said the plan appears more like a dream being sold to the public, ignoring the practical challenges Margao faces daily — mobility, garbage, parking, pollution, slums, sewage, infrastructure, etc, all of which require ground-realistic data to be sourced for a realistic approach to solving the issues. “A theoretical approach will only create more long-term problems just like the garbage Sonsodo issue, which will only complicate each issue into a future burden which Margao city cannot risk undergoing,” the NGO warned.
The NGO, led by President Jack Mascarenhas and social activist Jose Marie Miranda, on Monday submitted objections to Margao Municipal Chief Officer Melvyn Vaz, stating the presentation of the plan felt more like an exercise in futility, with both presenters and stakeholders left frustrated. “Instead of clarifying the city’s future, the presentation only added to the confusion among Margao’s already concerned citizens,” they stated.
“If the Draft Master Plan only supplements the ODP of Margao, then it is critical to note that the ODP of Margao was noted by all stakeholders as flawed and thereafter was petitioned to the High Court for review, in view of which this Master Plan, if based on a doubtful, challenged and unacceptable ODP, then the further planning will only have inherent controversy and doubt in the planning process,” the NGO stated.
It added: “The Master Plan 2041 was never initiated for sourcing vision and ideas amongst the stakeholders, and instead it’s only been shared as a final plan, merely reducing the stakeholders’ involvement to that of spectators in a top-down approach rather than ensuring democratic participation in Margao’s future.”
Expressing surprise over the proposal for a heritage zone when there is no realistic scope for expansion, the NGO said the plan lacks sensitivity and awareness of Margao’s heritage value, open spaces, recreation needs, green cover, climate change risks, water body pollution, run-offs, agricultural fields, low-lying flood plains, etc, which were seen as either missing or insensitively provided for. This may be due to the planning agency’s lack of local knowledge and data, making it highly risky to entrust Margao’s future to planners who are unfamiliar with the city and whose expertise has not been adequately vetted, the NGO added.
