Our main towns are crying for attention. Don’t ignore them
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s recent statement on a master plan for Sankhali town has brought into focus the need for planned development of our towns.
Not that there has been no town planning for our urban areas over the decades. Goa’s main towns are Margao, Mapusa, Vasco and Ponda. Margao is considered the commercial capital of Goa. Mapusa may not have that tag, but commercially, it is the main town for the entire North Goa.
The world over, cities and towns are considered as engines of growth for the economy. However, the state of our towns is pathetic. The government as well as the respective civic bodies have failed in creating the infrastructure needed to cope with the rapid urbanisation witnessed in the state. Poor governance coupled with a lack of basic services, meagre public transport, inadequate parking facilities, environmental challenges such as pollution, etc., have all contributed to the present situation of our towns.
It’s not that Goa didn’t have leaders who understood the importance of town planning or urban development. Many of our former chief ministers and ministers had spoken of making Goa a model state and knew that proper planning was the answer. However, nothing materialised, and there may have been many factors for it – the lack of funds, political decisions, the execution of development plans, etc.
Let’s take the example of Mapusa. It’s long-time MLA, the late Francis D’Souza, who was deputy chief minister, was accused of not doing enough for the town. He represented the town in the Goa assembly for two decades. During this time, plans were formulated by the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA), which had come out with a downtown development scheme. This was approved by then chief minister Manohar Parrikar (who also came from Mapusa.) But the ground reality is that the projects under the plan were hardly executed for whatever reason. Similarly, before the last assembly elections, plans were unveiled for a modern bus stand in the town with a multi-level car parking facility and other facilities. So, basically, it makes it clear: if there is no political will or support from the top, in most cases, no big project can come up irrespective of what the MLA concerned says or which party he belongs to.
Margao and Vasco towns have seen the same fate. Panaji, however, may be an exception. Panaji is considered the first city in India to be built on a planned grid system. When the Narendra Modi government launched the Smart Cities Mission, Panaji was selected as one of the 100 cities in the country. Much has been written about the project that was delayed for years and got a renewed start more than two years ago. Only after the entire project is commissioned will we know what exactly is ‘smart’ for the residents and other users.
Vasco, Ponda and also the comparatively smaller towns such as Bicholim, Curchorem, Valpoi, Canacona, Quepem, etc., also need a focused attention. The government has to look at investing in infrastructure and curb corruption. Goa has too many planning bodies, such as district development committees, directorate of municipal administration for towns and cities, etc., and even readily available consultants whom the government engages for all projects. Before the main towns slide into degeneration, the government must pull up its socks to set up an urban ecosystem that will provide the core infrastructure and give citizens a decent quality of life.
