Chunks of cement fall daily; staff forced to work amid growing fear and safety risks
CEILING DANGER & CRACKS OF CONCERN: A large cement patch crashed from the first-floor ceiling of the electricity department’s building in Mapusa, narrowly missing a staff member, as falling debris continues to put visitors and employees at risk. A split
MAPUSA
The lives of nearly 100 employees of the Electricity Department in Mapusa hang by a thread as their office building continues to deteriorate, with chunks of cement from the ceiling and walls falling almost daily.
The structure, declared unsafe nearly four years ago, is now on the verge of collapse, raising fears of a major tragedy if urgent action is not taken.
The building’s structural stability has been under question since a detailed assessment by the Goa Engineering College (GEC), which had categorically advised the authorities to vacate the premises immediately.
Despite the warning, staff have been forced to continue working in what many are calling a “death trap.”
A report by Dr K G Guptha, Professor and Head of the Civil Engineering Department at GEC, paints a grim picture.
“The situation is alarming. One of the external columns has split into two and is standing precariously, supported laterally only by an adjoining wall. The column could give way at any time, and that may lead to catastrophic consequences, including loss of human life,” he cautioned.
The report also highlights severe stress on one of the RCC columns, which in turn has placed enormous pressure on the cantilever beams supporting the upper floors.
Large cracks have appeared, reinforcement steel has corroded and slabs of ceiling concrete have been falling off – clear indicators of a building at the end of its life cycle.
“We were asked to vacate immediately after the report came in. But for four years, nothing moved. Now every day, pieces of concrete fall around us and people come to work with fear in their eyes,” said one staff member, who did not wish to be named.
Senior officials have begun exploring alternatives, with Mapusa MLA and Deputy Speaker Joshua D’Souza offering space in the newly built commercial complex at Angod.
“We have spoken to the MLA and he has agreed to give us space there,” confirmed Subhash Parsekar, Executive Engineer of the Electricity Department.
However, the new complex, inaugurated four months ago, remains locked as it is yet to obtain necessary clearances.
This bureaucratic delay means power department staff will have to continue to work in a building that experts believe could collapse without warning.
Sources said a sense of fear grips the office daily.
“People sit with prayers on their lips. We don’t know whether we’ll go home safely at the end of the day. How long can this continue?” asked another anxious staff member.
With the cracks widening and debris falling regularly, experts say the time for deliberation has long passed.
Unless the government fast-tracks the shifting process, the Mapusa Electricity Department could soon be remembered not for its services, but for a preventable disaster.
