MARGAO
Stink, filth, foul smell, animal bones and carcass, besides thermocol and dry waste et al.
Indeed, the SGPDA mega fish, vegetable, fruit and meat market complex is plagued by unprecedented unhygienic conditions, raising questions over the existence of any authority to cap the nuisance and save the citizens and shoppers from a health hazard.
Tonnes of dry and thermocol waste welcomes visitors every day when they drive down the mega market complex for shopping. The waste seemed to have piled up and unattended for days now leaving shoppers to wonder whether the market falls under the jurisdiction of none of the authorities, be it the SGPDA, Margao Municipal Council, Health department and the Collectorate.
The ground reality is that the SGDPA office headed by Member Secretary Sheikh Ali is situated right at the market complex, while the office of the district Collector is located just a few meters away. The Margao Municipal vehicles take the round of the waste every day, but the waste lying around the market complex is not collected by the garbage vehicles on the ground the waste is not segregated.
Fashion designer Verma D’Mello cried foul over the pathetic conditions in the PDA market. “Local citizens come here for shopping. Even foreigners visit the market to shop for their requirements. The market, however, stinks and it stinks badly. This can be had for health. We will soon have the monsoons setting in and the pathetic situation offers a perfect ground for mosquito breeding. Dengue and other diseases may start from the market”, she feared.
Pointing to the animal carcasses and horns dumped in the dry waste, she demanded to know which authority is involved in the daily collection of waste from the market. Verma has warned that if the authorities do not address the issue immediately, Madgavkars and citizens will have to descend to the market and protest and to wake up the authorities from slumber.
Heritage lover Yogesh Nagvenkar echoed similar sentiments. “An epidemic is waiting to strike the SGDPA market. We are facing a dangerous situation. Hundreds of shoppers, if not thousands visit the market every day. Then we have the vendors, including the fish vendors who had to do business in unhygienic conditions. It is apparent that the authorities have failed to do their respective duties”, he said.
Yogesh demanded to know why animal carcasses, bones and horns had been found dumped in the waste, wondering whether the concerned authorities had abdicated their responsibility on the market maintenance or had allowed things to come such a pass for reasons best known to them. “The SGPDA, MMC and the Collector should all sit and discuss how to address the issue of waste and filth in the mega retail market. Citizens cannot be held to ransom for want of action by the authorities”, he asserted.
