AERIAL VIEW
Ever since he has taken over as the TCP Minister, Rane seems to be in such a hurry as if there is no tomorrow. What is the need for 400 FAR at the Kadamba plateau?
Mr Rane should have first visited the locality and found out the issue residents are facing. It’s a plateau where people struggle for water every day.
Agreed, it is a developing area, but for over two decades now, the government has failed to provide piped water. Residents say only now the pipelines have started coming, but the water and power supply are still irregular.
In such a condition, consider these 18 to 20-floor buildings coming up; it will not only wreak havoc for residents of Kadamba plateau but will also affect the people of Merces, St Cruz and the capital city of Panaji.
Before taking such a drastic decision, Mr Rane should have considered the infrastructure development in the area. Where would the garbage go?
The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Board has granted its nod to increase the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for hotels to 30 per cent in rural areas and 40 per cent in urban.
The TCP Board that met under Minister Vishwajit Rane also decided to develop Kadamba Plateau as the new ‘Satellite Township’ of Panjim with 400 per cent FAR.
Well, this seems to be another decision taken in a hurry, without application of mind, by the new Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane.
Ever since he has taken over as the TCP Minister, Rane seems to be in such a hurry as if there is no tomorrow. What is the need for 400 FAR at the Kadamba plateau?
Mr Rane should have first visited the locality and found out the issue residents are facing. It’s a plateau where people struggle for water every day.
Agreed, it is a developing area, but for over two decades now, the government has failed to provide piped water. Residents say only now the pipelines have started coming, but the water and power supply are still irregular.
In such a condition, consider these 18 to 20-floor buildings coming up; it will not only wreak havoc for residents of Kadamba plateau but will also affect the people of Merces, St Cruz and the capital city of Panaji.
Before taking such a drastic decision, Mr Rane should have considered the infrastructure development in the area. Where would the garbage go?
Rane, as Urban Development Minister, also should have seen the status of the Bainguinim waste treatment plant.
This is simply about more concrete with no thought to infrastructures like roads, power and electricity. Instead of strengthening enforcement against illegal activities and protecting the environment, we have a blanket increase of FAR made to sound like an achievement of planning.
Agreed, taking the pressure off congested areas like Panaji makes sense, but jumping straight to FAR of 400 is something that even Noida, a town close to Delhi but in Uttar Pradesh, does not have.
With such ad-hoc decisions, we have come a full circle with no learning even after going through the entire public exercise of the Regional Plan in 2012.
It is critical to have a 10-year visionary master plan that fits all stakeholders’ requirements like a jigsaw puzzle so that each zone can function the way it must.
Another issue here is that the area is close to the UNESCO World Heritage site – the Basilica of Bon Jesus, which holds the relics of St Francis Xavier.
The question is, will the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag remain if the township comes around this site?
We have already seen what a mess the Porvorim Highway has become. Porvorim, being close to Panaji and Mapusa, was developing as a satellite town but has converted the National Highway 17 into a mess with haphazard development and no proper planning.
By giving 400 FAR, what is Mr Rane trying to achieve? Is a million-dollar question.