MARGAO
Is the proposed education hub at Davorlim on the outskirts of Margao an answer to the traffic and parking woes plaguing the commercial capital? Or, will the exercise end up in shifting the traffic woes from the commercial capital to the neighbouring village in the absence of an elaborate road network in the village to cater to hundreds, if not thousands of vehicles heading to the educational hub?
Another question that is often raised in certain quarters is what would be the status of the buildings currently playing host to the schools once these institutions are shifted to the proposed education hub?
That’s not all. Davorlim villagers have been waging a sustained struggle for earmarking a portion of the acquired land in question to meet the village infrastructure requirements, including a community hall, playground, land for treatment of waste, space for the Holy Cross Chapel atop the hillock, etc, with questions raised as to what extent will the government go about to meet the local needs.
These and other questions come to the fore as old traffic and parking issues came back to haunt the stakeholders in the new academic year, with questions raised whether the city will be rid of the parking and traffic snarls after the shifting of the city schools to the proposed education hub in Davorlim village.
While the Education Department has secured the government-acquired land admeasuring 1.15 lakh square metres after a demarcation with strong police protection, questions are being raised when exactly will the government develop the acquired land into an education hub.
For, it’s now a little over a decade since the then district Collector, South had acquired the Davorlim land way back around 2011-12. The land in question was not specifically acquired to set up an education hub, but for multi-utility projects.
Successive MLAs representing Navelim constituency had taken up cudgels for the Davorlim villagers in support of their demand to allot a portion of the education hub for the infrastructural requirements of the village. Incumbent Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar has echoed similar sentiments and has promised to discuss all issues with the government for a solution.
Besides, the Navelim MLA has underscored the need to come out with a traffic plan before the education hub sees the light of day. Aware that the heavy traffic will inundate the narrow village roads leading to the proposed hub, Tuenkar has called for identifying new roads which will help the entry and exit of hundreds, if not thousands of private vehicles and buses, to and fro the education hub.
“I am worried about the traffic issues that will come to haunt the village given that the narrow village roads will not be able to cater to the increasing traffic. I have suggested development of a road to the education hub via the Housing Board area to ward off pressure on the village roads after the hub becomes a reality,” the MLA added.
A senior official told The Goan that the government should appoint a consultant with a brief to prepare a traffic plan for Davorlim village before going about the work on the proposed education hub. “Davorlim is a village with narrow roads. When around a dozen existing and new schools take shape at the proposed hub, hundreds, if not thousands of vehicles will come to the village. This will cause strain on the village road infrastructure. Let the consultant prepare a traffic plan so that the traffic snarls witnessed in Margao is not shifted to Davorlim,” the official added.
Meanwhile, a senior official pointed out that the government should take a policy decision on the status of the existing city schools, which opt to move to the education hub. “It should not happen that the schools are all shifted to Davorlim and the managements decides to utilise the buildings for education or some other purpose, defeating the very purpose of setting up the education hub,” the official added.
Education hub very much on agenda, but will take couple of yrs: Edu director
MARGAO: Director of Goa Education Board, Shailesh Zingde has said the education hub proposed at Davorlim is very much on the agenda of the Education Department.
He, however, said it will take a couple of years before the education hub becomes a reality.
The Education Director agreed on the need to work out a traffic plan for Davorlim to rule out traffic congestion on the village roads.
“The education hub at Davorlim is very much on the agenda of the Education Department. We have already carried out demarcation of the acquired land. Next on the agenda is the construction of a retaining wall to secure the acquired land,” he said.
Zingde, however, said that it will take couple of years before the education hub becomes a reality since it would involve construction of buildings and develop the necessary infrastructure for the schools.
