Panjim is in Peril
Panjim is in peril from the neglect of its own residents, who need to claim their city back, says Dr JOE D’SOUZA
The situation is alarming for residents of Panjim, as they continue to accept a lackadaisical approach to growing acts of crime and decay in the capital city. Over the 37 years in which I have made myself a home in this city away from the place I was born in Anjuna, I have slowly seen the natives getting marginalised and outnumbered. Those originally from Panjim have migrated to seek greener pastures abroad, or settled elsewhere in India or other parts of Goa. Those now residing in Panjim seem less and less concerned about deteriorating conditions. There is hardly anyone with an undying love for the city.
The Panjimites in the voter’s list, sadly, take very little interest in the governance of this city, as they do not possess any emotional bond with this once-beautiful city. Panjim does not even have a resident representative in the Assembly, or Councillors in the corporation who have grown up in the essential beauty of the place and feel the desire to preserve its essence and heritage.
We must, at this juncture, meekly acknowledge with gratitude the services of those non-Panjimites who represent us in governmental institutions, because we have, as residents of Panjim, abdicated and evaded our responsibility to keep Panjim clean and green for posterity, and conveniently pushed our responsibilities onto non-residents.
The disgustingly negligent approach of Panjimites is not only degrading the heritage, environment, ecology, water bodies and rivers, but the very quality of their lives. Regular bouts of malaria and other vector-borne diseases, enteric diseases, diabetes, heart problems, cancer, skin and lung infections are growing menacingly. This has a lot to do with how Panjimites have fashioned the state of their environment, due to their attitude of taking everything lying down with the belief that problems in Panjim are either not of their doing or beyond their line of duty.
Panjimites only pay high taxes, and do nothing more. The total neglect and degradation of the St Inez creek and other water bodies around Panjim speak volumes of the lack of concern by locals. Today, the creek is an open sewer, a cesspool full of garbage, inviting disease and all sorts of pestilence. It is far, far away from any semblance of a tidal stream, rich in estuarine biodiversity and teaming with aquatic life, as it was in the past.
Thanks to the slums mushrooming around Panjim with the blessings of our politicians and goodwill of fellow Goans, Panjim is a host to the migrant menace. It was disgusting that Subodh Kerkar and a bunch of volunteers from an NGO were patronising the washing of cars ‘freely’, using municipal water from a well by a few migrants who do not live in Panjim, but illegally wash the cars of rich visitors to the capital city.
The media went gaga and reported pseudo acts of charity exhibited by a few individuals, with cars, at the cost of the health and residential comfort of the actual residents of Panjim, who routinely suffer owing to the illegal car washing done for only Rs40, which is far below the actual amount of Rs2,000, which these car owners from around Goa would have to pay at a licensed car washing centre. Some gullible as well as publicity-seeking NGOs are now forcing Panjimites as well as the Corporation, to take care of these undesirable elements, which are not the creation of CCP or the residents of Panjim.
Today, the mangroves around Patto Plaza are dumping grounds for garbage. Hill slopes around Altinho are cut indiscriminately, causing landslides. Panjim is slowly turning into an area open for all unwanted and illicit activities.
Panjimites go all over Goa under the banner of ‘Save Goa’ or ‘Goa Bachao Abhiyan’. Those with offices in Panjim were active to see that the River Sal was made free of casinos, only to ensure that those very casinos operate with full honour and dignity right opposite their offices in Panjim!
Panjim has also become a silent dumping ground for garbage by visitors to the city, who bring garbage in plastic bags and dump it either in the River Mandovi or on one of the numerous street corners around Panjim.
Today, the city roads are choked with cars and two wheelers of visitors essentially. Residents have no cars or park their cars in their garages, as they do not need vehicles to travel within the city. Shopkeepers who do business in Panjim bring their vehicles early each morning and block parking slots all day long. Sadly, almost all shop owners in Panjim are not the residents of the city, but use, misuse and abuse Panjim; its roads, markets and water bodies.
It is a sad reality that the city fathers, instead of decongesting the city by removing parking from city precincts and broadening the pavements and footpaths, are narrowing the pavements and footpaths to broaden roads, allowing construction of buildings without parking and dreaming of converting gardens into parking lots.
Exponential increases in traffic on Panjim roads has made pedestrians and residents of Panjim prone to respiratory ailments, accidents and skin infections, owing to dust. If a Panjimite does not go for a walk fearing an accident or pollution due to dusty roads, degradation of gardens and receding pavements, he would be affected by diabetes, heart problems and high blood pressure.
The Corporation of the City of Panjim does not have visionaries to plan and regulate buildings, hotels and commercial complexes. Engineer, administrator or corporator, they specialise in turning space meant for car parking into shops and commercial units. This poaching of parking space has converted our roads into chaos. And now, pavements are being narrowed down or cars are being allowed to park on pavements, all at the cost of the poor pedestrians and residents of Panjim.
Dear Panjimite, it is a Catch-22 situation. You have to stand up to fight the menace of non-Panjimites dictating their will, since you refuse to administer your own destiny. If Panjimites continue to remain quiet, then begging, stealing, murders, accidents, pestilence, disease, degradation and decay will consume us all sooner rather than later.
Panjim was a beautiful town; well-planned and well-maintained till a few decades ago. It is changing for the worse. I see it from the heart of the city where I reside. But it lacks the services of ‘Saviours’; they are yet to come by. We need residents who will Do, not just pray. It is essential for Panjim to get out of the mess it is in.