Panaji’s cleanest city tag: Pride or pretence?

BHARATI PAWASKAR | JULY 20, 2025, 12:29 AM IST

PANAJI

India has taken up the mission of cleanliness to achieve its ‘Swachh Bharat’ goal. States are encouraged to keep their cities and towns clean and green. Panaji has recently been declared the cleanest city in India. But does it truly deserve this title, or has it come as a surprise to many of its residents? What makes a city clean?  

Parvish Andani Kamat believes that the city she has lived in for the past 55 years is quite clean. “I have been living in Panaji since 1970. The main roads and city roads are clean, as I often see workers sweeping and taking away the plastic and dry waste. I also see this happening in Miramar and suburban areas,” says Parvish, owner of Etechskill Academy and Anka Services.

She adds, “Everything can always be improved, including cleanliness...So yes, Panaji is a clean city, and I am happy to know that it has been awarded.”  

Concerns on the Ground

However, Vishant Nagvekar, a resident of Altinho, points out that there are still many issues that need attention. He notes that scrap vehicles, including those of government departments, continue to occupy roadside parking spaces.

“These not only cause congestion but also act as sources of pollution and health hazards. Open littering is still a concern, partly due to the lack of clean and accessible public toilets. There is no public toilet at the popular Riverside Promenade. Garbage dumping within city limits continues, which undermines cleanliness efforts. The condition of roads and the drainage system also need significant improvement,” says Nagvekar, a social activist who works on the rights of people with disabilities. He feels that to truly make Panaji a clean city, there needs to be greater public awareness and consistent government action.  

Sewage and Water Woes

Ashok Dande, a resident of Taleigao, does not agree that the city is clean. An octogenarian who has lived in Panaji all his life, Dande alleges that many houses are not connected to sewage pipelines. “The overfilled soak pits of houses built on the hills at Merces and Kalapur, due to the absence of proper drainage, flow down into fields and lakes through open drains. The fields stink, and whatever grows in them also stinks. Marine life in the lakes gets contaminated. Garages across the city release soapy water into creeks and open drains. These issues need to be solved from the root. Superficial fixes are of no use,” says Dande, a nature lover who runs a home nursery.  

State of Public Toilets

Sunita Naik, a salesgirl from a shop at the Panaji KTC bus stand, complains that the public toilets are rarely in good condition. “Most of the time they either overflow or are unclean. The people in charge often demand double the prescribed rate, especially from tourists. Men urinate in the open, but women are helpless, and our hygiene is at risk. Panaji should have clean toilets, whether paid or unpaid,” says Naik.  

A working woman who travels daily from Betim to Panaji points out that Sulabh toilets in the city do not have visible boards. “Look at the one near the Ferry Point. The board is not readable, as the letters are faded. As the toilet is attached to a casino office, the door is cleverly hidden, and the whole place looks like part of the casino office, with billboards covering the walls most of the time. How will anyone know that there is a Sulabh toilet here?” she asks.  

Markets & Creek Pollution

“The fish and vegetable markets are so dirty that one doesn’t feel like stepping in,” complains a customer, mentioning the water from the fish stalls that flows openly. She also points out the bad smell near the riverside and asks, “Is it because the casinos in the Mandovi release their sewage into the river? What is causing this unbearable stink?”  

While things may look clean on the surface, underneath, one can see plastic bottles and other waste flowing in the St Inez creek, which carries blackish water mixed with sewage from houses built along its walls.  

“Covering the mouths of the creeks to stop people from throwing garbage is not enough. Releasing sewage water into them should be stopped immediately. The fish die due to toxic waste. If cleaned, these creeks could be used for boating and could attract tourists,” says a resident from St Inez.  

Smart City Dust Concerns

A Caranzalem resident remarks, “If Panaji is considered the cleanest city, imagine what the other cities must be like! Cleaning alone is not enough. The city should be safe to walk in, kerbs should be repaired, and pavements should be smooth. Walk down 18th June Road and see the pavement around important places like Sahakari Bhandar and Fidalgo enclave, and you will see things piled up everywhere while we struggle to walk amidst the traffic! Such cities are more hazardous, and awards should be given for that!”  

Residents who suffered from dust pollution for the past two to three years due to ongoing Smart City works feel let down. “I have developed chronic asthma from constantly inhaling dust. Many neighbours complain of allergies. Chest physicians and allergy specialists say patient numbers have increased over the past few months. Our struggles go unseen. Giving a clean chit publicly, on a national level, to a city that releases toxins into the water, air and our lungs is not justified,” says a Campal resident, urging the authorities to address these issues and make Panaji truly clean. 

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