PANAJI
Already on a year’s extension and as many as 13 of its projects running behind schedule, several officials involved with Panaji’s ‘Smart City Mission’ have admitted that beating the March 31, 2025 deadline to finish all projects will be a challenge.
Particularly challenging will be the two bigger ones “ Sewerage and Smart Roads “ and finishing them before March 31 next year will be a miracle if accomplished, one senior official who did not wish to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) managing director and CEO, Sanjit Rodrigues, IAS, however, is optimistic that the deadline will be met.
Sewerage, smart road project listed as 80% completed
One of the biggest projects of all, the new sewage chamber network and the smart roads complete with provision of an underground, dedicated utility corridor, has been the most controversial.
Residents, commuters and traders in the city had raised a hue and cry during the work due to the inconvenience they faced due to blocked roads, dust pollution caused by the excavation and negligence of contractors in not putting up proper signages.
At least one youth, son of a former CCP councillor from Ribandar, had died landing with his ‘Bullet’ motorcycle in one of the sewage chamber pits at Mala. Apparently because of no proper lighting and barricading.
The projects which combined are costing Rs 129.81 crore are listed as “80 per cent completed” with the entire sewage chamber network both in Panaji city as well as the outlying Ribandar area already finished.
The 20% portion of the project on which work is yet to commence is the last mile connection (around 200 meters) from near the Caculo Mall to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Tonca, which Rodrigues has often described as “challenging” as the pipes to be laid are much bigger (1.5 meter dia) and have to be laid at list 10 meters deep.
An IPSCDL official said it would be a challenge to finish this work within the next four months.
Beautification of pedestrian areas at Patto
Costing Rs 23.04 crore, this project the IPSCDL claims is also 80% completed. It involves developing a “pedestrian spine” and revitalising the area with soft-landscaping works. Completing this project within the deadline may not be a big challenge, the official said.
Ribandar market, fishermen’s wharf
The construction of the community market at Ribandar, which is being built at a cost of Rs 7.73 crore and also ran into trouble with the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) calling out the deviation from ‘approved plans’ is only 45% complete. Work there is ongoing.
A second project at Ribandar is Rs 2.6 crore redevelopment of the ‘fishermen’s wharf’ at Patto. Work here is completed only to the extent of 50%, the IPSCDL official claimed.
A third project “ Development of ‘Smart Ribandar’ with select facilities worth Rs 82 crore “ is 85% completed, the official said, adding that it includes smart street lights, steps at five locations and refurbishing all roads, footpaths, drains and laying of the natural gas pipeline in Ribandar.
Other projects
The beautification and pedestrianisation of the ‘Cafe Bhosale Square’ is estimated to cost Rs 4.45 crore but just 30% of the work on it has been accomplished as of date.
Completion of another big project in Panaji city, dealing with developing ‘universal walkways’ costing over Rs 80 crore, is also lagging far behind. As of date, this big project is only 45% complete, the official said.
Completed projects
Among the 100 completed projects under ‘Smart City Mission’ include the conversion of overhead to underground electricity network in Ribandar at a cost of Rs 73.75 crore, the ‘Master System Integrator which will include CCTV camera surveillance and the ‘intelligent city management system’ costing Rs 214.13 crore, the flood water pumping station at Mala lake costing Rs 17 crore and the internet bandwidth connectivity and the e-bus driven intra-city public transport system at a cost of Rs 49.9 crore.
