ARPITA SRIVASTAVA | NT
MAPUSA: The Verla Canca panchayat area in Bardez is lacking in basic infrastructural facilities with villagers claiming that issues like garbage management, development of recreational facility for children like a play park, widening of internal roads, and construction of drains have failed to receive attention. Apart from these issues, water shortage and irregular power supply problems have also remained unresolved.
According to villagers, one of the major issues, which should have been resolved, is regarding garbage management. Though the panchayat has initiated garbage collection system in the village, it has failed to curb instances of dumping of waste along the roadsides.
The villagers claim that they do not even know exactly when the garbage collection vehicle comes, pointing out that it is due to lack of awareness among the people on the whole issue.
A local Prakash Kambli said that “garbage management is one of the major issues in the village; former sarpanch had provided his personal vehicle for garbage collection, however, the villagers are not much aware of it, hence, garbage gets disposed of along the roadsides.”
He further said that “the panchayat claims to be collecting garbage on daily basis, however, if one goes around, the bins provided by the panchayat will be found lying filled with garbage.”
Sarpanch of Verla Canca panchayat Mohan Dabhale, disagreeing on these claims, said that “everyday our garbage collection vehicle goes around in the village and we have been successful to tackle the issue to some extent compared to what it was previously.”
Further, on water and electricity issues, the villagers claimed that these too have been neglected. The houses, which are located on the hilly side, are the most affected especially as regards regular water supply.
A Pingulkar, a resident, said that “water problem has been causing constant hardships to the people. Freitas waddo, Sai Nagar are the most affected and no steps have been taken to give relief to the people from water woes.”
Another resident, Baban Chowgule, said that “no efforts are being made to provide proper basic facilities. For instance, erratic power supply is one of the problems that has left us on the receiving end and no one is doing anything about it. Now, during summer, the situation is worse.”
Development has been another front on which the panchayat has not been able to achieve much. The panchayat had undertaken work of construction of drains around two years ago but till date drain work in some areas is yet to be completed; similarly, the panchayat has undertaken widening work of the main roads only while the internal roads continue to remain narrow.
A local Mohan Sawant said that “there has been no change in terms of garden facility, widening of internal roads; wherever the road is widened there is no provision for footpath made, even the setback area has not been maintained.” Expressing similar views, another villager Pradip Korgaonkar claimed that “no development work has been undertaken in the panchayat area, no major initiatives have been taken to resolve issues of the locals.”
He said that “though the panchayat had undertaken drain work some years ago, some wards remained left out. No desilting work was taken up for last monsoon and this year too we are not sure if the drains are going to be cleaned or not.”
He, however, hopes that new panchayat members, who are going to be elected in June, will work towards development of the village.
Commenting on the issues, sarpanch Mohan Dabhale said that “basically there is no major issue in the panchayat area and whatever there was has either been resolved or proposals have been moved. As regards the incomplete drains, the process has already been initiated.”