All is not well at MMC as dampness in building walls indicate rain water seepage
MARGAO
Visitors to the commercial capital may suddenly come across a blue coloured plastic sheet covering a portion of the imposing Portuguese-era Margao Municipal building, ostensibly to protect the 118-year old heritage structure from rain water seepage.
Margao civic chief Damu Shirodkar was quick to reassure that the measure adopted by the civic body is purely temporary in nature before the building is taken up for renovation after the monsoons.
Just a casual walk into the passages of the heritage building would show that all isn’t well inside the heritage structure. Leave alone water seepage into the various sections, the walls of the imposing structure have all turned damp and soggy, indicating rampant rain water seepage into the heritage building.
That a portion of a concrete plaster had come crashing down in the building passage a week ago gives an insight into the condition of the heritage building for want of upkeep and maintenance.
In fact, the prevailing condition of the Municipal building throws up a host of questions for the powers that be who have been controlling the affairs of the civic body over the years.
The last time the MMC structure had undergone a major revamp was
way back around two decades ago when the building was decked up coinciding with its centenary anniversary.
While the MMC chairperson claimed that the civic body has asked the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) to take up the work of renovation of the heritage building, sources in the know pointed out that either GSUDA or the Margao municipality should rope in experts to ascertain the stability of the structure and the walls, prone to rain water seepage over the years.
“Renovating the building with a fresh coat of paint or applying lipstick will not help conserve the heritage structure. Measures should be adopted to check the stability of the walls, more so after they have been exposed to rains over the years,” remarked the official in the know.
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