Sancoale Estate: Not fit for business

There is an estate sized mess at the Sancoale Industrial Estate. This Industrial zone set up by the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is totally neglected with issues such as improper access connectivity, heaps of garbage, poor drainage system, besides migrants menace have been discouraging the industrialists to do business here. Sadly all formal representation highlighting important issues by the Association of Industrialists from Sancoale to Sancoale IDC till date remained unaddressed.

“Lack of connectivity to the four-lane highway is our biggest problem We have been pressuring GIDC and ministers, but to no avail,” said Sasindran Nair, President of Sancoale Industries Association”, said Sasindran Nair, President of Sancoale Industries Association.

According to Nair, heavy vehicles to and from Sancoale Industrial Estate have to face severe congestion on the road near the Zuarinagar slums and issues have been increasing due to illegal encroachments alongside the road in Zuarinagar slums. 

“At present if we have to come to the national highway, then our heavy vehicles have to pass through the heavily congested market area of the Birla Zuarinagar Slums. This road (from Upasnagar junction to MES college junction via Birla) is used by all containers, trucks. Many encroachments and illegal parking on roadsides hamper the flow of traffic to the Sancoale industrial estate.”

“We have been requesting Goa IDC to consider the proposal of connecting Sancoale IDC with NH17 B road though an opening in between BITS Pilani and Indian Oiltanking from Sancoale IDC, unfortunately neither the industries department nor the government is interested in doing this,” Nair said.

Shockingly the internal roads in this industrial estate are used for defecation by the migrants which have become an eyesore, Behind our industrial estate, there’s a slum called Lamani Nagar. Because of a lack of toilet facilities, most of these residents use industrial estate internal roads as toilets during morning and evening hours. Even the open areas have been used for dumping of garbage.

There are over 70 industrial units, including warehouse and godowns, but many have, or on the verge of shutting down operations due to improper facilities here.

The Sancoale Industries Association had met the Chairman and officials of the GIDC before the elections, but Nair claims that after inspecting site and giving patient hearing to their grievances followed by assurances, issues unfortunately remained pending

In Sancoale plots have been given to 140 industrial units of which 31 units are not functional (as on April 16 2013). If Goa IDC continues to neglect the needs of industries they will opt to move out.