MARGAO
Over half a dozen apartments damaged after a wall collapse cum landslide on slopy Marlem-Fatorda; house collapse on Talsanzor hillock claiming the life of a teenager; river Sal flood plains submerged under water along the western bypass alignment; overflowing sewage manholes raising a stink and health hazard, collapse of mud houses for want of repairs over dispute over landlords et al.
Will the trail of destruction left behind by nature’s fury come as a wakeup call for the authorities, including planners, Comunidade bodies, Margao Municipal Council, besides the powers that be, including MLAs, to avert similar calamities in future?
Well, the fortnight-long wet spell has indeed triggered unprecedented damage and destruction to life and property across Salcete taluka, including the commercial capital, which had to face the brunt of nature’s fury this season.
Retaining wall collapse and landslide
The collapse of a huge retaining wall, believed to have been triggered by a landslide on the slopy Marlem area has left a trail of destruction and loss for the inmates of the apartments in Rayesh Housing society. The Marlem incident, sources say, is an eye opener for the planners and politicians to tread a cautious path before interfering with the fragile hills and environment.
Around 9 apartments have suffered extensive damage and loss, running into lakhs of rupees, after the debris, including stones crashed inside into the bedrooms and galleries earlier this week. Lakhs of rupees will now go into the construction of a concrete wall to prevent landslides in the area in the future.
Marlem may have been hit by the collapse of the retaining wall and land slide, but the city plays host to dozens if not hundreds of buildings dotting the hills and slopes, raising question over the stability of slopes after interference and damage caused by the construction activity.
House collapse claimed life of teen at Talsan Zor
The death of an 18-year-old Kartik Chauhan at Talsan Zor has brought to the fore the issue of residential structures dotting the Talsan Zor hillock and the silence of the licensing authorities including the Margao Municipal Council to stop the mushrooming shanties on the hills and slopes. In the instant case, the deceased boy was sleeping in the rented room when the wall came crashing down on him.
Aquem Comunidade Attorney Celestin Noronha was quick to point that the Comundidade had initiated action against illegal structures at Talsan Zor exactly a decade ago, further adding that the hillock must be playing host to around 140 structures. Celestin has warned that illegal structures on the Talsanzor-Moti Dongor hillock may slide down in the event of a cloud burst in the area.
Interestingly, even as Moti Dongor/Talsan Zor hillocks play host to shanties, a residential colony is taking shape on the Pajifond hillock on the slopy land owned by Hospicio hospital and the Director of Health Services. In fact, officials in the know say a disaster is in the making with illegal structures dotting the city slopes and hills.
Sewage stink and health hazard
It’s now uncommon to find sewage chambers around the commercial capital resembling water fountains during monsoons. What, however, sounds baffling is that neither the Sewerage Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa (SIDCGL) nor the PWD have bothered to check the underground line and rectify the defects. It’s an open secret that the sewage chambers are overflowing as a result of rain water infiltration. How the rain water finds its way into the underground line is still a mystery. And, the solution to the problem lies in a thorough checking of the underground line and not the enhancement of the capacity of the city’s Sewage Treatment Plants. For, the overflowing sewage chambers not only raise a stink, but pose health hazard to the citizens, including pedestrians and motorists.
River Sal flood plains submerged with water
Call it a manmade calamity or simply aggravation of the flooding problem post-construction of the western bypass, the flood plains of river Sal all along the bypass alignment, from Benaulim, Mungul, Seraulim and Nuvem is inundated with water.
It’s now a fortnight since the flood plains of river Sal have been under water, destroying paddy cultivation, inundating roads, throwing up questions whether the construction of the bypass through the wet lands is the cause of the water logging. It is not out of place to mention here that when Margao and surrounding areas were flooded a little over two decades ago, around 2001, then deputy Collector, Margao Sanjit Rodrigues had recommended that the authorities do a rethink on building the western bypass along the present alignment on the ground that the alignment passes through the wet lands.
Collapse of houses
The collapse of a number of old mud houses has again brought to the fore whether landlord-tenant dispute came in the way of repairs and renovation of these structures. Salcete mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar conceded that a couple of houses that have come crashing down in the city were under dispute. He, however, hastened to add his office had received no application from the occupants of the houses for repairs under the provisions of the Mundcar Act. Sources in the know pointed out there’s no audit done of old mud houses dotting the city.
