MARGAO
As the government has set in motion the process to prepare a Master Plan for Margao, a host of crucial questions have come to the fore as work on the preparation of the plan has got underway by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA)-appointed consultant.
One, has the GSUDA or the government-appointed consultant taken the Margao Municipal Council, the urban local body, into confidence in the preparation of the plan. Or, will GSUDA or the consultant seek inputs from the civic body only at the stage of power point presentation as has often been done by the government bodies in the recent past?
With the 74th Constitutional Amendment giving vast powers to the urban bodies in respect of the planning and development of the towns and cities, questions are being raised why GSUDA has not engaged the Margao Municipal Council or the citizens in the planning process. Or, is it that the Master Plan is only at the infancy stage and the consultant will descend in the municipality after preparing the ground work.
That’s not all. Amongst other things, the powers that be have been heard saying that the Master Plan would review and analyse the existing traffic and transportation system including access and transport connectivity to major roads, air and seaports, railway lines and major developments.
Margao councillors, however, feign ignorance about the Master Plan saying that the consultant is yet to engage the civic body and the councillors on the preparation of the plan. In fact, Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar said he has no idea on the preparation of the Master Plan for Margao saying the municipality has not been taken into confidence till date. “How can any authority or agency prepare a Master Plan for the city without taking the local urban body into confidence? I will find out from municipal officials on the Master Plan,” Shirodkar said.
Incidentally, Director, Urban Development, Gurudas Pilarnkar, who is the Member Secretary of GSUDA, confirmed that work on the preparation of the Master Plan for Margao, besides two other towns is presently underway. He, however, said Margao Municipal Council and the MLAs representing the commercial capital will be taken in the loop when the draft plan is in place.
Fatorda MLA and Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai sounded a word of caution, warning that no Master Plan will be accepted by the people if any attempt is made to thrust the plan on the people of Fatorda. “A team of consultants had approached me some time back to discuss the preparation of the plan. I want to make it categorically clear that unless the GSUDA-appointed consultants take the local municipal body, the MLAs and the people into confidence, the proposed Master Plan will not be accepted by the people,” he warned.
BJP Margao MLA, Digambar Kamat, however, sought to allay fears and apprehensions of the citizens. “The Master Plan for Margao is at the infancy stage. The consultants must be carrying out visits and surveys. The consultant might not have come to the Council since the draft is still not in place,” Kamat said. Kamat added: “Once the draft is prepared, a power point presentation will be held for the benefit of the councillors. The draft will also be discussed with professionals such as city architects and engineers before taking a final decision.”
MASTER PLAN: Scope of work of consultant
- Carry out site visits and review topographic surveys and other survey information. Recommend any additional surveys to be carried out if required
- Identify physical/ geographic characteristics of the overall Master Plan site and individual land parcels considering environmental conditions, access conditions, aspect conditions as well as identify planning constraints and opportunities
- Review baseline data “ physical, social, cultural and economic
- Assess existing and planned urban utilities infrastructure, comprising water/ sewerage/ power/communication/ gas, etc
- Assess existing and planned smart city plans, energy network infrastructure including electricity district cooling and energy storage
- Assess land use patterns regarding open and built-up land, site adjacent existing and planned development
- Climate analysis of overall master plan area and localised plot-specific micro-climate conditions
- Review and analyse the existing traffic and transportation system including access and transport connectivity to major roads, air and seaports, railway lines and major developments
- Environmental assessment, incl. land and water ecology; determine requirement for environmental assessments, such as flood-risk, natural conservation, ground-conditions, etc
