As Goa braces for the onset of the monsoon, the state government has dutifully issued a circular banning all road digging from May 15 onwards.
The stated intention behind this recurring administrative ritual is noble: to prevent unnecessary inconvenience to the public during the rainy season.
After all, open trenches, half-dug roads, and unattended mounds of soil turn into potential death traps when lashed by monsoon rains.
Flooding, traffic snarls, vehicle damage, and even serious injuries become common, all consequences of delayed or mismanaged civil works.
Yet, this year – as with many in the past – the circular seems to have become more of a symbolic gesture than an enforceable policy. As of mid-May, trenching and digging operations continue unabated across various parts of the state.
The Electricity Department is engaged in underground cabling, the Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa (SIDCGL) persists with laying sewer pipelines, and the Public Works Department (PWD) is reportedly working on a range of projects.
If these are the same departments that the circular aims to regulate, one is compelled to ask: what purpose does the circular really serve?
The Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant had earlier emphasized that the road digging ban was meant to “avoid inconvenience to people during monsoons.”
This acknowledgement itself was an admission of the annual chaos that unfolds when roads are dug up just before or during the rains. But what value does this statement have if it is not followed by action? If government departments themselves disregard the order, it not only renders the circular ineffective – it undermines the authority of the very office that issued it.
Let us not forget that it is often not just the inconvenience, but public safety that is at stake. Roads left in disrepair become hazardous for motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, who form a significant percentage of commuters in Goa. Slippery surfaces, obscured potholes, and crumbling shoulders make travel treacherous.
Tourists – on whom Goa’s economy heavily relies – also suffer, leading to a larger negative perception of governance and infrastructure.
The problem seems rooted in poor planning and an alarming lack of coordination between various government agencies.
Ideally, departments should complete their excavation and trenching work well ahead of the monsoon deadline. If that is not feasible, at the very least, a prioritised schedule must be created where only absolutely essential work- justified by an emergency or technical constraint – is permitted with the highest urgency and accountability.
Unfortunately, that level of administrative synergy remains elusive.
Often, roads that have just been tarred are dug up again within weeks by a different department for laying cables or pipelines. This duplication of effort not only delays completion but also wastes public funds. And when such work extends into the monsoon despite orders to halt, it showcases both inefficiency and disregard for public welfare.
It is also telling that despite this ban being a recurring feature of Goan governance, enforcement mechanisms appear lax.
Are there penalties imposed on violators? Are progress reports being reviewed weekly to ensure compliance? Is there a grievance redressal mechanism where citizens can report violations with evidence? If not, then the circular will continue to be a bureaucratic formality – filed, ignored, and forgotten.
The government must recognise that credibility is eroded when words are not matched by actions. Public faith in governance rests on the assumption that official announcements will be honoured.
If internal departments cannot adhere to orders issued from the top, it indicates a deeper dysfunction. It is time the state government reevaluates the entire process—beginning with earlier planning, tighter inter-departmental coordination, and, most importantly, strict enforcement of its own deadlines.
The coming weeks will be telling. As monsoon clouds gather over Goa, so do questions about administrative will and competence. If the government truly intends to safeguard the interests of its people, it must ensure that circulars are not mere pieces of paper, but the first step toward meaningful, citizen-centric governance.
