Margao residents oppose draft master plan, seek proper study

Margao: Margao residents on Thursday opposed the draft master plan 2041 for Margao and refused to submit their feedback and suggestions in writing. Instead, they demanded a fresh, more detailed, specific and scientific plan for the town, along with a ward-wise study.
The presentation in the town hall of the Margao municipal building was attended by a fraction of citizens who were able to fit inside and who could show up following the 48-hour public notice.
They complained about the consultants preparing the draft plan without taking them into confidence first, and without seeing the actual situation on the ground.
Chairperson Damu Shirodkar had to intervene to permit the consultants from Studio Pod to finish their presentation amidst opposition. The citizens said the plan was too general, with sweeping statements made in the air without specific information about what they could expect in which area. The citizens told the consultants to make use of technology and superimpose their fancy-looking plan to eliminate confusion.
Ashish Kamat of United Goans Foundation told the consultants they were selling citizens a ‘dream’ while the ground reality was very different. MMC, he said, was unaware of the location of its sewerage lines, electricity cables, drains, or the width of the road on the ground and sought to know on what basis the draft master plan was prepared without a ground reality check. He said the ODP and land use map could not be relied upon to prepare a master plan and added that the ODP was a farce, to give permission to help the builder lobby.
The consultants were asked about their plans for the heritage zone, how they plan to maintain private heritage houses, how they plan to deal with illegal structures mushrooming in Margao and Fatorda, and about the town’s sewage flowing into River Sal. They also sought to know whether the consultant had any plans to displace the slums.
Sanjeev Raiturcar asked about parking provisions for the areas where FAR has been increased. Another citizen said agricultural land should be protected and projects shouldn’t be permitted in agricultural lands. Savio Coutinho of the Shadow Council for Margao demanded ward-wise consultations with the date and time notified in advance and alleged the consultants only consulted with the builder lobby and not residents. He also complained about the draft plan not being made available on the website.
Prabhav Naik of Madgavancho Awaaz alleged builders were consulted and not citizens and that the plan was not available on the website. He said the 48-hour notice was too short and that the meeting should have been postponed. Margao fire officer Gill D’Souza said fire safety must feature in the plan as areas in the city provide problems of access for fire brigades. He suggested a mini fire station with smaller fire vehicles for the city.