Dug-up trenches and subsequent haphazard covering up, pose hazards to both shopkeepers and their customers
The roads in the entire market that were dug up for underground cabling work and the time taken to restore them have caused a lot of distress to the visitors and the business community in the market.
Photo Credits: Agnelo Pereira
MAPUSA
The popular Mapusa market, renowned for its vibrant energy and array of goods, has been thrown into a turmoil with the electricity department excavating the roads to install underground power cables.
What was meant to modernize the infrastructure has instead left the market resembling a construction site, much to the dismay of visitors and vendors alike.
The extensive digging of market roads to accommodate the underground cables has transformed the once lively marketplace into a maze of rubble and dust.
Navigating through the uneven terrain has become a daunting task for the consumers, particularly senior citizens, exacerbating the challenges of shopping in the area.
For the dedicated shopkeepers and vendors who rely on the market for their livelihoods, the ordeal has been particularly arduous.
The dug-up trenches and subsequent haphazard covering up, pose hazards to both their merchandise and their customers, while exposed cables and lingering piles of mud further compound the hazardous conditions.
Pandurang Sawant, an executive member of the Mapusa Merchants Association (MMA), expressed frustration over the lack of coordination among government agencies overseeing the project.
“They have made a total mess of the roads in the market. The municipality has utterly failed in supervising the ongoing cabling work in the market,” Sawant said, highlighting concerns about the placement of service pillars atop drains, which could spell disaster during the monsoon season.
Amidst the chaos, a vendor lamented the prolonged exposure to dust and debris.
“We have been swallowing the dust from these dug up roads for more than a month now. I think we will have to live in this condition until the monsoon,” the vendor moaned.
The rupture of a water pipeline on Saturday and the resulting flooding within the market premises, underscored the ramifications of the haphazard construction work, prompting calls for urgent action from civic authorities.
President of MMA, Shripad Sawant emphasized the need for immediate cleaning and maintenance of market drains to avert future calamities.
Despite the ongoing work by the electricity department, which includes the installation of electricity poles in the entire market, concerns linger regarding the efficacy and safety of the project execution.
While the initiative to install underground cables holds promise for the market's long-term prosperity, the current state of affairs has left much to be desired.
