Time was when Mapusa was a serene market town. The only time that there was a little action was on Fridays when people from all corners of Bardez came to the town to shop and sell produce.
These days, every day is a Friday. Today when I went to Mapusa in the evening, there was a kind of frenzy in the air. People moving about the town, traffic in a mess, parking impossible and poor cops trying to do their best to control the traffic and while they were at it, possibly try to make a few bucks, every available square inch in the market crowded with veg/ fruit sellers. Of course, its approach of the Ganesh festival that was the cause of all this. The population of Mapusa and its surroundings has increased tremendously, but the city facilities and utilities have miserably failed to catch up. There is a need to expand the central business district. But there are problems. Much of the land adjoining the business district is low, marshy land and the other land is hilly. The fields which lie in the marshy area are uncultivated for decades and Mapusa needs a few things, which IMHO are: 1. Parking zones at the various entry points to the CBD. 2. Light vehicle/ medium vehicle, pedestrians only zones with godowns on the outskirts. 3. Improved sewage system, drainage and above all better maintenance of these systems. 4. Removal of all encroachments on the pavements. 5. A better more organized traffic plan. 6. Relocation of the several schools functioning in the CBD of the city to the outskirts. 7. A better bus/ taxi stands. 8. A few more gardens. And a host of other things. I hope that Goanetters will add to my list so that by pooling ideas we can make a comprehensive list to open the eyes of the Authorities. -- Tony de Sa. tonydesa at gmail dot com M : +91 9975 162 897 Ph. : +91 832 2470 148 ^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v
