MAPUSA
Concerned citizens of Mapusa have objected to a construction project coming up in the fields at Zammucalim, Mapusa and urged the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) to revoke the licence/permissions granted to the builder.
The residents said that the fields around their houses act as a water retention area during the monsoons and the new construction coming up in the area will only lead to flooding of the entire place in the rains.
According to the residents, there has been flooding in the area in the previous monsoons and the civic body was notified about the problem on several occasions in the past.
“Despite knowing the problem of flooding happening in the area, we are surprised that the civic body has given permission to convert the field into a settlement area. Instead of resolving the existing water clogging issue, permission is given to a new construction,” said Benny Fernandes, in a memorandum addressed to the Chief Officer.
A group of residents from Zammucalim, Prudential Paradise and Sapana Village Cooperative Housing Society Ltd marched to the Mapusa Municipal Council and handed a memorandum to the municipal engineer in the absence of the chief officer.
In the memorandum, they strongly objected to the new construction of the ongoing project in the property bearing P T Sheet No 30, Chalta No 29/42 and 30/3 in ward 4 of MMC.
The residents said the water clogging in the area takes place as the access to the flow of water was blocked.
They said despite knowing the problems faced by the residents, the engineering/technical section of the civic body passed the project without application of mind.
“We have sent a number of complaints to the civic body in the last two months but all our appeals have fallen on deaf ears. We want the civic body to first stop the ongoing work and conduct an inspection of the area along with us,” said Thomas Pinho, a resident of the area.
Demanding quick action from the concerned authorities, the residents warned to come out in large numbers in protest against the project.
