the goan I network
VASCO
Residents of Vasco have slammed the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) for completely ignoring the MMC Garden which used to be an attraction of the city some years back.
The MMC garden having a fountain and many species of flowers has today turned into an illegal den.
Residents claim many people visiting the garden are found drinking alcohol, drying clothes and indulging in drugs at night.
The garden is not safe for children with no security personnel at the site. Residents have demanded that MMC immediately take up the matter and undertake repairs on the fences and take efforts to bring back the garden to its original glory.
“This is a garden built in 1913 and there is not a bit of maintenance. There is no security guard nor there is fencing in the garden. In the nights a lot of illegal activities take place here. The MMC must immediately look in the matter. This place is not safe anymore and someday we may have a major incident reported”, said a resident Aaquif Syed.
Another social activist Preetam Keluskar said a visit to the garden, one could find empty beer bottles, cigarette butts and other stuff. “We have requested Vasco police to intensify patrolling in the MMC garden at night”, he said.
“MMC must also take up the working on railings which are broken and allow easy access to people and police must pick people found loitering at night”, said Keluskar.
Meanwhile, Chairperson Kritesh Gaonkar said that MMC would take stringent action against people frequenting the garden at night. “I have taken a staff meeting. They have informed me about illegal activities happening in the garden. I have decided to have a net fencing done on all sides of the garden. We have a watchman but sometimes people jump in from the fences. We will have a net on the fences soon so that there is only one access to the garden”, said Gaonkar.
