Due to the never ending greed of those currently in power, Goa’s capital city Panjim has been driven to the brink of collapse. With no road remaining to be dug, with just a passing shower the entire city would be sinking in grief. A further concern is that on account of rank negligence by the authorities, a part of the wall of the over 388-year-old Panjim-Ribandar causeway which caved in last year at the Ribandar end remains unattended.
Built in 1634, it has withstood the devastation of decades with all sorts of heavy traffic. In fact in 2016, based on a report of technical experts, the then North Goa Collector had declared this causeway unsafe for heavy traffic and had ordered that traffic be stopped.
But the government has slept over the issue for the last seven long years while the state of the causeway has been fast deteriorating by the day. The authorities responsible must be held criminally liable for their willful neglect of this crucial historic causeway. All the cosmetic repairs by engineering quacks has only been public money down the drain. Before any major disaster occurs, it is now imperative that traffic movement be immediately restricted on this causeway.
