Much has already been said about the smart city Panjim, but now it very strongly appears to be a city beyond redemption. Buckled pavements, caved in roads, overflowing drains, mixing of sewage with storm water, backflow from the river into the city drains and houses, electrocution deaths, mudslides, fatalities due to unsecured construction sites etc.
Innumerable extensions have been given to the contractors and the administration to complete the works but to no avail. On top of this, we are told by brazenly shameless politicians that if one wants to see a rainbow, one has to put up with a little bit of rains, consultants are being demonised, there is zilch accountability with blame games being played out and no agency knowing what the hell is going on.
Almost Rs 1000 crores of public funds have been wasted to turn Panjim into a purported smart city which will make the lives of the residents easier. And what do we have? A dead city with residents leading a hellish life cursing the day Panjim was picked out as a city which needed smartening. It is very clear now that Panjim is beyond salvage now, perhaps it is time to quietly bury it in the local cemetery.