Vulnerable spots in Mala and Camrabhat among other low-lying areas of Panaji are likely to be submerged, yet again, while the 18 June road will also be flooded. The ensuing rainy season will be chaotic, unless otherwise.
Warning signs
It's an evident display of nonchalance as the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has chosen to remain unfazed by the impending chaos set to be unleashed by the ongoing haphazard works of the Smart City project.
Ironically, while Chief Minister Pramod Sawant claimed there will be no flooding in Panaji, his cabinet colleague Nilesh Cabral said “he cannot assure” while Mayor Rohit Monserrate said “he has no control.”
There are glaring warning signs -- unending excavations, repeated cave-ins and the dangerously temporarily filled portions of some excavated roads. While these haphazard works – that began last year - are undoubtedly carried out by the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL), the Corporation’s “ignorance is bliss” approach towards the inevitable flooding has been worrisome.
'Flooding since childhood'
Deputy Mayor Sanjeev Naik, to a question about the potential consequences of the ongoing works, astonishingly stated that flooding (of low-lying areas) has been a regular occurrence, in fact “since childhood.”
“We have seen flooding since childhood,” he said, while he remained non-committal about whether Panaji will be spared from flooding this season. Danger looms large considering that the entire city has been dug even as CM Sawant has finally directed concerned government departments to complete these works by mid-June.
First-time experience
Downplaying the severity of the situation, Naik urged the public to treat these disruptive works as a mere “first-time experience”.
With CCP having the responsibility for taking up monsoon preparedness every year, the Deputy Mayor claimed that 90 per cent of the works under its ambit are complete, including cleaning of the drains. However, there is no word about the drains affected by the ongoing Smart City works.
While the Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate’s continuous disregard for the chaos has already upset the residents and business owners, it finally prompted the government to take swift action.
In a bid to expedite the progress of the project, the government replaced IAS Officer Mamu Hage with Sanjit Rodrigues as the Smart City CEO, to streamline the efforts. CM Sawant also directed the concerned departments to complete the works by mid-June.
Mayor Rohit Monserrate has though been assessing the flood-risk areas, the CCP has often claimed they are just a stakeholder in the Smart City’s decisions.
