It must be said that Panaji city is facing problems of gargantuan proportions. It is probably the biggest mess in Goa’s civic history. After the officially proclaimed May 31 deadline ended without any sign of completion of the Smart City work, yet another deadline of June 10 was declared for completion of the Caculo Mall to Sewage Treatment Plant, Tonca stretch. Whether the work will be completed by the deadline is anyone’s guess. As of now footpaths, drains and laying of service lines are all in mess. Mud is piled up at the door steps of shops and residential complexes including government quarters.
Trenches have been dug at St. Inez and at some other places concrete has not been laid. The big question is whether it is possible to carry out the remaining work during the rainy season or whether there will be a break till the South West monsoon recedes. At present Panaji city is facing the problem of flooding. But (God forbid) a much greater problem could hit the citizens of Panaji by way of health issues. The dug up trenches will be filled with rain water. There will be several puddles across the city.
When the rains take a break and the sun comes out, it could be an appropriate condition for mosquito breeding which could lead to the spread of vector-borne diseases. Any amount of fogging will not solve the problem. With sewage pipelines being laid, sewage water could seep into the water pipeline leading to disease like diarrhea and dysentery. The question that arises is whether Panaji city is sitting on a ticking health time-bomb? Is (God forbid) an epidemic staring at the capital city? This will lead to a massive health issue which could be more dangerous than the flooding. Hopefully Panjimites will remain safe during the monsoon season.
