# At Moti Dongor it’s 100 residents for 1 toilet; Azad Nagar too hit
# Land is an issue: Digambar, Sulabh Int & Municipality official
MARGAO
While politicos of all hues descended in the by-lanes and basties “ right from Moti Dongor to Azad Nagar and Fakir bandh to Kharebhand “ to scout for votes, sanitation seemed to have not matched with growing requirements.
Consider this: Moti Dongor is home for 2,500-plus votes, a vote bank that can decide the fate of candidates. The population is spread around a radius of less than 20,000 sqmts. While hundreds of hutments stand tall atop Moti Dongor, the hillock plays host to a bare four toilet blocks which have a capacity of 24-seater toilets, in the
ratio of one toilet per 100
residents.
Sulabh International officials when contacted by The Goan revealed that they have no problem in constructing an additional block atop Moti Dongor on condition that land is made available by the Municipality. “We have no problem in augmenting the sanitation facilities at Moti Dongor if the local civic body takes care of the land requirement,” Sulabh engineer said.
Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, who has been representing Margao since 1994, pointed out that he has been instrumental in boosting the sanitation atop Moti Dongor since his first election. “When I was first elected the MLA of Margao, there was neither any sanitation facility nor water and electricity. I have made available the four toilet blocks. We could not build more blocks for want of land,” he said.
A municipal official said that it’s indeed a sheer irony that while there’s been rampant illegal extensions of the encroachments, it’s hard to find space to build toilet blocks atop the hillock.
Azad Nagar colony, housing 500-odd migrants, near the Konkan railway station, is another instance of indifference of powers that be to public sanitation.
Azad Nagar locality has only one toilet block with a 12-seater capacity for the 500-odd residents. Sulabh officials said the agency is willing to enhance sanitation facilities at Azad Nagar, provided the local civic
body makes available the
required land.
Kamat, however, said that a second block will soon take shape as the KR authorities have been requested to spare land at the far end of the colony to build the second
toilet block.
MMC officials pointed out that basic sanitation facilities at Fakir bandh and Khareband also fall short of the requirements, though these areas have been the favourite hunting grounds for politicos of all hues during election.
A Sulabh official pointed out that the agency is willing to even build 100 individual toilets in the city, but on a condition that land is made available by MMC or government.
