Redeveloped Margao wholesale fish market in limbo

The imposing redeveloped Margao wholesale fish market is still awaiting commission for reasons unknown.

MARGAO
Even two months after missing the announced inauguration date, uncertainty continues to surround the opening of the redeveloped Margao wholesale fish market, with no fresh timeline in sight and mounting questions over the delay.

Consider this: At a meeting of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) held on January 9, members had taken a key decision to commission the upgraded facility on January 23. SGPDA Chairman and MLA Krishna Salkar had informed the media that the market was ready for inauguration, with maintenance agencies already in place.

Following this announcement, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai had even urged the public via social media to attend the inaugural function. However, the message was withdrawn within minutes after Salkar indicated that the event had been postponed for unspecified reasons.

Since then, there has been little clarity from authorities. The SGPDA has neither disclosed the reason for missing the January 23 deadline nor announced a new date for opening the facility.

Repeated delays despite project completion

File photo of the platforms built as part of the redevelopment of the wholesale fish market are lying idle.

The delay is particularly striking given that the redevelopment of the wholesale fish market was completed in January 2025 by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation for the Fisheries Department. This is not the first time the SGPDA has missed deadlines related to the project.

Traders have expressed frustration, pointing out that operations continue in unhygienic conditions despite the availability of modern infrastructure.

“The Chairman should explain why the market could not be inaugurated on January 23, as decided at the January 9 meeting, and what prevented the authorities from opening it in the last two months,” said a fish trader.

Questions have also been raised about the silence of local MLAs, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat, along with MLAs Vijai Sardesai and Reginaldo Lourenco, all of whom are members of the SGPDA.

Will SGPDA inaugurate market amid poll code?

Will the Model Code of Conduct current in force in South Goa in general and Ponda in particular further delay the inauguration of Margao wholesale fish market? This question is presently doing the rounds in PDA and political circles for the simple reason that the Ponda municipal area comes under the South Goa Planning and Development Authority’s jurisdiction.

While this question may throw up a debate of experts whether or not the market can be inaugurated during the Model Code of Conduct, the prevailing situation may give another alibi to the SGDPA Chairman and the PDA members not to inaugurate the redeveloped market.

Narrow window before civic polls

On April 9, the Election Commission may lift the Mode Code of Conduct in South Goa after polling for the Ponda by-poll. But, will the SGPDA be ready to inaugurate the market immediately before the Election Code of Conduct comes into force for the upcoming civic polls.

The State Election Commission has drawn up plans to hold the civic polls in May this year. This means that the SGPDA will have limited time frame – between April 9  and end of April – to inaugurate the wholesale fish market before the Municipal code of conduct comes into force.

Sources said whether the authority will act within this window or defer the inauguration further remains to be seen.

Pending sopo tender, ETP decision and cold storage delay worry stakeholders

File photo of the effluent treatment system installed by BITS Pilani at the wholesale fish market is down and out for lack of maintenance.

MARGAO: Even as uncertainty continues to cloud the repeated delays in inaugurating the Margao wholesale fish market, the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) may soon be called upon to address a series of pressing questions.

Key among them is whether the planning body has moved forward with the sopo collection tender, which has remained pending since November 2023. There is also growing concern over whether the PDA has taken any concrete decision to establish an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to manage wastewater generated at the facility.

Equally significant is the demand from traditional Goan fishing communities —including ramponkars and boat owners — for clarity on the long-promised cold storage facility, considered a core component of the wholesale fish market. Fishermen are seeking a definitive timeline for when these crucial infrastructures will become operational.

These concerns gain urgency as the PDA still has an opportunity to initiate the ETP setup and finalise the sopo collection tender before the market becomes functional.

Further, at a recent SGPDA meeting, Chairman and MLA Krishna Salkar had informed the media that the issue of the cold storage facility would be resolved at a joint meeting involving Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, GSIDC Chairman Michael Lobo, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat, PDA members, and representatives of the traditional fishing community.

Questions, however, are now being raised over whether this proposed meeting has taken place in the past two months, and if the government has reached any decision regarding the establishment of the cold storage facility at the wholesale fish market.

Unabated waste burning near wholesale fish market

MARGAO: The illegal burning of waste, including thermocol, continues unabated near the Margao wholesale fish market.

Earlier last week, thick plumes of black smoke were seen billowing from a waste dump adjoining the culvert, just metres away from the market. Such incidents strongly suggest the involvement of unscrupulous elements deliberately setting waste — including thermocol — on fire.

While the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) may maintain that its responsibility does not extend beyond the market complex, the recurring instances of waste burning near the River Sal culvert point to a serious lapse in enforcement. This ongoing practice is a blatant violation of pollution control norms, sources said.

About a year and half ago, the High Court had intervened after being apprised of large accumulations of thermocol waste along the Margao wholesale fish market road. The Court’s directions led to the establishment of a mechanism to manage the waste generated in the area. However, despite these measures, the burning of waste near the culvert continues unchecked, with no authority stepping in to curb the pollution.