Demand restoration at organiser’s cost
FORMULA 4 VENUE SHIFT
Councillors of the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) on Monday demanded immediate restoration of the Sada area at the organiser’s cost, after citing extensive damage to roads, water pipelines and gutters following preparatory work for the now-shifted Formula 4 race.
The demand was raised during a special council meeting convened to discuss the issue along with other civic matters, including the proposed Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) bus stand project.
Councillor Damodar Naik said several civic utilities were damaged when work began for the race without prior permission or intimation to the MMC.
“There has been massive destruction of roads, water pipelines, gutters and nullahs in the name of the race. The 600 mm diameter water pipeline supplying water from Seraulim has holes at five locations, causing hardship as there has been no water supply for several days. Sewage chambers have also been damaged at multiple points, resulting in overflows,” Naik said.
Stating that the water line supplying the Muslim burial site was uprooted, Naik said a letter had been sent to the chief officer demanding restoration at the organisers’ cost.
“The chief officer has assured us that necessary action will be taken and a site inspection will be conducted to assess the damage,” Naik stated.
Raising the issue of the proposed KTC bus stand, ward councillor Priya Raut said she has sought a special meeting to discuss the project in detail.
“There was no proper discussion before the point was added to the agenda. We have objected to the PPP model under which 70 percent of the land will go to the project proponent and only 30 percent will be used for the bus stand. Locals have voiced strong opposition to this arrangement,” Raut said.
MMC Chairperson Girish Borker said the KTC bus stand proposal has been deferred for a special meeting after a joint site inspection with the PWD, RTO and NHAI.
“The HPCL company has vacated our land after 15 years, and it has remained idle for over a year. We had proposed to temporarily lease the land for the bus stand to generate additional revenue, but councillors have sought further discussion,” Borker said.
On the Formula 4 issue, Borker confirmed that the council will conduct a site inspection of the Sada area to assess the extent of damage.
“The venue has been shifted out of Sada, and councillors have demanded restoration of the area on priority. We will inspect the site along with councillors and ensure necessary repairs are carried out,” he added.
