Broken wooden planks, collapsed barricades, and accumulated filth litter the walkway; commuters allege boardwalk has become hub for illegal activities
The wooden planks at the mangrove boardwalk are partially broken, and the barricades have collapsed.
PANAJI
It was once hailed as a landmark project, a testament to Panaji’s urban transformation conceptualised by Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL) under the AMRUT mission. But today, the much-hyped mangrove boardwalk, thrown open with grand ambition in 2018, is a picture of decay, neglect and failed promises.
Spread over 1,100 sq mtrs, the IPSCDL then claimed the wooden walkway was envisioned as a rare ecological attraction and is one of only two such boardwalks in the country – the other in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was meant to educate visitors on the mangroves’ role in the Rua de Ourem Creek ecosystem, offer a haven for migratory bird watchers and provide a serene escape within the city.
Eight years on, the project stands in shambles. The once-inviting wooden planks are partially broken. Barricades have collapsed. The walkway is blanketed in filth and discarded liquor bottles. The entry point – closed around two years ago – has been breached with trespassers sneaking through holes in rusted tin sheets.
When The Goan visited the boardwalk and asked a couple how they had managed to enter it, they willingly pointed to holes cut in the makeshift barricade and encouraged this journalist to also sneak in.
The daily commuters including a few staff from the Goa State Central Library alleged the walkway has become a haven for illicit activities. A senior citizen, who regularly visits the Central Library, also echoed their concern. “Who would be responsible if any person is injured on the boardwalk? The authorities should ensure security in the area to prevent people from venturing onto the dilapidated boardwalk,” he suggested.
Ironically, the NITI Aayog had spotlighted the project in its India Voluntary National Review 2020 on sustainable development. Three years ago, the IPSCDL also announced a Rs 4.2 crore expansion, promising an extended walkway behind the Central Library, linking it to the Santa Monica Jetty and a narrow island in Ourem Creek.
Reliable sources told The Goan that security guards, once deployed, were withdrawn abruptly amid allegations the entry of unwanted elements couldn’t be stopped.
Even as the IPSCDL boasts of completed projects and justified delays elsewhere, it has remained conspicuously silent on the fate of this boardwalk. The Goan reached out for an official response but replies are awaited.
