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Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Portion of parapet of old building in Margao collapses, vehicles damaged
Margao: A portion of a parapet on the upper floor of an old building near Pimpalkatta, along the road leading to Gandhi Market in Margao, gave way on Friday. Several vehicles parked beneath the building were damaged after the debris landed on them. However, there were no casualties. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, who visited the site along with the chairperson of Margao Municipal Council (MMC), Damodar Shirodkar, said that the structural stability of the building will be assessed, and until then, the building will be evacuated to prevent any untoward incident. A similar collapse occurred in October 2022 when a portion of the first-floor parapet of the same building collapsed, injuring a passerby and damaging a car. The area witnesses heavy traffic and pedestrian movement during rush hours, making such structural failures particularly dangerous. Representatives of a local market association have previously raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of several buildings in the vicinity. The recurring incidents point to a larger problem plaguing Margao and other parts of the state— the presence of several dilapidated buildings that continue to pose safety risks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 이미지 영어에 대해서 40분만에 알려드립니다 스티븐영어 지금 시작하기 Undo The MMC previously identified 22 unsafe structures, though authorities have struggled to address the threat. However, the building that faced the current collapse of its parapet hasn't yet figured in the list of the unsafe buildings identified by the MMC, said municipality sources. Legal experts attribute the persistence of such unsafe buildings to restrictive provisions in the Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent & Eviction) Control Act, 1968. The archaic rent control legislation makes redevelopment financially unfeasible, as tenants continue paying nominal rents fixed decades ago while maintenance costs have escalated significantly. 'These buildings may have been built 50 or 60 years ago, but tenants continue to pay the same amount of rent that was fixed then, a paltry Rs 20 to Rs 50,' explained legal practitioners familiar with such cases. The situation is further complicated by tenancy rights that persist even if buildings deteriorate, requiring developers to negotiate with tenants before any redevelopment can proceed. This creates a situation where unsafe structures remain occupied despite their hazardous condition, as seen in cases where trade licences continue to be issued for units in buildings declared unsafe by municipal authorities.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MLA: Over 1 crore being spent to prevent flooding in Margao
Margao: The work of improving a few nullahs in the state's commercial capital commenced on Tuesday. Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said that the works, totalling over Rs 1 crore, would help prevent flooding along certain stretches through which the nullahs passed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now To prevent waste from entering the nullahs, concrete slabs have been installed as covers in residential areas. Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council , Damodar Shirodkar, said that all pre-monsoon works undertaken by the civic body were nearing completion. In the areas where the work was progressing at a slow pace, more workers would be deployed to complete the task in time, he said. MMC's pre-monsoon works include cleaning drains and gutters, desilting nullahs, cutting and trimming tree branches, identifying low-lying areas prone to flooding, clearing illegal hutments, and preparing plans to accommodate people affected by monsoon calamities. Shirodkar said that the water resources department (WRD) would soon take up the task of cleaning the 10-12 nullahs across Margao and Fatorda. Speaking to reporters, Kamat said that the work of laying underground sewerage lines was almost complete and that the work of releasing connections to households was also receiving a good response. The work of replacing an old sewerage line with a new one at Sirvodem would be completed within a few weeks, he said. MMC's pre-monsoon works have always invited criticism from the public for their inefficiency. A few years ago, the Lokayukta questioned MMC over the estimates prepared by it, which had uniform amounts for all the desilting works.
