Residents of Panjim protesting against the construction of a concrete walkway bridge in the Mandovi river which threatens to block the river’s inlet into the St Inez creek on Friday took officials to task over the arbitrary move without consulting the citizens.
Officials of the Goa State Infrastructure Corporation (GSIDC) and the Imagine Panaji Smart City Limited (IPSCL) arrived at the site where several citizens questioned the legality of the project as well as the measures taken to overcome the blockage of tidal flow in and out of the St Inez creek that the structure will cause.
The concrete construction which the officials claimed was piles for walkway bridge connecting the Mandovi river bank promenade to the Campal beach will give connectivity to the cycling track from Campal to Miramar adjoining the river.
The group of citizens, who recently organised themselves as “Save Panjim” group have accused the authorities of deliberately functioning secretly in relation to execution of the ‘smart city’ plans.
Former CCP councillor Patricia Pinto who is part of “Save Panjim’ told the officials that connectivity from the cycling track to the promenade was already available near the Forest Department adjacent to the Kala Academy complex.
The walkway bridge is unnecessary and will badly affect the natural tidal flushing of the St Inez Creek, several of the citizens gathered at the consultation with the officials said.
Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) president Dr Sabina Martins was also among the group of citizens who assembled at the site.
The officials meanwhile claimed that the project had a nod from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) but the citizens said CRZ laws ban any concrete structures inside the river and the clearance violates the law.
Several projects being proposed as part of Smart City push have come under scrutiny of the ‘Save Panjim’ group which has charged the government of reclaiming public spaces for private commercial interests.
