EDITORIAL
Panaji cannot claim smart-city ambitions while mega events leave roads clogged
At the recently held meeting of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), several issues afflicting the capital city were discussed. One of them concerned exhibitions and events in Campal. It is not a new issue. Holding mega exhibitions and events, including musical shows, affects not only the locals living in the vicinity but also traffic along the route. The designated parking lots fill up and visitors park their vehicles wherever they find space, adding to the chaos. There have been reports that such parking once even blocked the entry/exit to a residence in Campal.
The ward councillors have been raising the issue for over 15 years now. The then Panaji MLA Manohar Parrikar had also supported the locals on this issue when he was the Leader of the Opposition around 2010-11 and was in favour of mega exhibitions being moved out of the city. Last week, ward member Kabir Pinto demanded that an area be identified outside the main city, such as at Patto or thereabouts, and be designated as an exhibition ground. The convention centre near Paryatan Bhavan on the banks of the Ourem creek could have been one option, at least as a temporary arrangement, but the project remains incomplete.
Most capital cities have an exhibition ground. Over the decade, the situation has worsened. At the meeting, mayor Rohit Monserrate assured that he would look into the issue. However, he pointed out that many of these events are government organised. True. Most of the state-level programmes are held at Kala Academy, Dayanand Bandodkar Grounds, and the Institute Menezes Braganza (IMB) hall. The parking capacity in the Kala Academy complex is limited, and for major programmes, motorists park their vehicles in the nearby residential area. The exit and entry points of mega events also pose a huge traffic hindrance. So, as Pinto said, it is not only the Campal residents who are affected but also the motorists using Dayanand Bandodkar Marg. Traffic slows down and, at peak time, chaotic scenes are witnessed. If an ambulance gets stuck, it will be a question of life and death because of a situation allowed by the government. Perhaps it has not dawned on the VVIPs who attend government functions that an alternative site has to be found. For how long does the government want to inconvenience people? If it is unable to identify a place that could be designated an exhibition ground, then it should appoint a consultant. Anyway, that has become the norm for every project. The government must include this issue in the list of things it is trying to accomplish in the next three months ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. On Sunday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the BJP had discussed a three-month roadmap for Goa.
As far as the IMB hall is concerned, people attending events there have to go around in circles to find parking. A multi-level parking lot is much needed in the heart of the city, like the one at Santa Monica jetty.
The government does not seem to have given it priority like it has with leasing out its properties or redeveloping them. Panaji residents have been waiting for the solution promised 15 years ago, when the issue was first raised. With the government drawing up a three-month roadmap and elections months away, there is no better moment to act. Identify an exhibition ground and move mega events out of the city’s core. A capital cannot call itself smart while an ambulance sits stuck behind a parking jam.
