Comedy of negligence: After 27 years, CCP to prepare Master Plan to control flooding

PANJIM: It looks like a comedy of negligence. After 27 years of High Court of Bombay at Goa order, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has woken up to a a Master Plan to control flooding by restoring/repairing storm water drainages in the city.

On October 13, 1997, the High Court of Bombay passed an order regarding preparation of Master Plan for Panjim city to control the water flooding by restoring/repairing the storm water drainages.

In 1997, Adv Ajay Tyagi had filed a writ petition seeking directions to the Panjim Municipal Council to improve and clear the drainage system, and to ascertain the causes of flooding and to ensure a long-term remedy. 

He had pointed out that there was water logging in various parts of the city and that the stretch of the road where reconstruction of drainages was carried out had not been resurfaced properly due to which public were facing untold hardships.

The then chief officer of erstwhile Panjim Municipal Council in his affidavit gave details of the measures taken to stop waterlogging. He stated that the Master Plan was required to be prepared for entirely new drainage system which would require about Rs 30 crore and that the PMC had no funds.

Representing the Directorate of Municipal Administration, Adv A F Diniz had told the Court that the matter will be taken up with the government.

During the ordinary meeting held on July 19, 2022, the CCP felt the need of preparing a Master Plan and approved a proposal to assign the work of preparation of Master Plan for the CCP, based on real time data through the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA).

In January 2023, CCP councillor Nelson Cabral wrote to the CCP commissioner stating that more than 25 years had elapsed and no permanent positive action appears to have been taken by the authorities concerned till date, except for carrying out temporary cosmetic works.

He demanded the compliance of preparation of the requisite Master Plan be initiated and completed at the earliest for ensuring the prevention of the annual flooding in the capital city.

Following this, on March 28, 2023, the CCP Commissioner Clen Madeira wrote to the Director of Urban Development, the member secretary of Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) and the managing director and CEO of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL), asking them to furnish their comments and to submit Master Plan (drainage plan – rainwater) if so prepared by them.

As there was no reply or acknowledgement, the CCP Commissioner again on June 6, 2024 sent a reminder to the Director of Urban Development and the GSUDA.

Nelson Cabral said, “As far as development is concerned, expectations of Panjim citizens are high. They are silent knowing that some good development will come in the city with Central funds. But it was brought to my notice by some experts that the city may book beautiful only in summer and winter and that the actual problems with the city will occur during monsoon. It is because of this, I am time and again requesting the Commissioner to the need to prepare a Master Plan.”

GSUDA chief project officer Vijaykumar Honawad told O Heraldo that they have not prepared any Master Plan for CCP.

A Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) official said, "the State prepared a Master Plan for the holistic development of Panjim, through consultant LKS from Spain in 2013. Based on the Master Plan only, Panjim city was selected for development as a Smart City. It took one year for the consultant to complete the plan. We had given a soft copy of the Master Plan to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) as well. We had given the plan not once but several times."