Margao Municipality has repaired the damaged roof to plug seepage of water into the building during the monsoons.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
With the proposed renovation of the heritage Margao Municipal Council building yet to take off, civic officials have been left with no option than to repair the leaking roof with monsoons around the corner.
The heritage structure, however, is craving urgent attention with the powers that be providing only lip service over the need to take up urgent repairs on the over-century-old municipal building.
The Municipal Taxation Section has been affected the most every monsoon due to the seepage of rainwater into the building, prompting the civic staff to keep buckets and other utensils to collect the water. To tide over the situation, municipal staff and workers repaired the roof by replacing damaged wooden rafters and broken roof tiles.
The biggest question, however, remains unanswered – When will the Margao municipality take up the major work of renovation of the heritage structure with the building coming under strain every monsoon due to water seepage?
The MMC has been insisting that the civic body has sent a proposal to the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) to take up comprehensive repair, renovation and restoration of the heritage building a la the Mormugao Municipal building. Work on the project, however, has been grounded over the question of funding, with GSUDA reportedly asking the MMC to place funds at its disposal to carry out the work.
A visit to the municipal building, however, has revealed that the heritage structure is indeed craving attention. If pieces of the concrete ceiling of the municipal building had come crumbing down during the last monsoon, cracks are now visible at a couple of places.
Visitors to the Municipal building have been left to wonder why the City Fathers and the municipal babus, besides the powers that be and the government, have neglected the heritage municipal building.
“The building is in a state of utter neglect. Apart from the repair works, it is surprising that the building has not received a coat of paint, leaving the structure in a shabby state over the last decade,” remarked a regular visitor to the heritage building.
