DILIP MUST STOP TOURISM AT DONA PAULA FOR NOW
If anybody visits D.Paula in this peak season you will find hundreds of vehicles parked on the road everyday and many more on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, with only one policeman deputed to manage the traffic. While it would probably not be possible to control this traffic even with a dozen police traffic personnel, no one seems to be trying to find a solution. The tourist crowd comes to visit the D.Paula Jetty which is a complete MESS as there is no proper way to reach the Jetty as the road is under repairs for sewage work and has only one small tiny lane for vehicles. A person presumably from the Sewage contractor is manning this entrance to the Jetty. The situation is so pathetic that many residents staying in this area have been asked to keep their own vehicles outside near the D.Paula circle and to walk to their residences. This is the situation of people having a tough time to go to the Jetty as well as to the SBI Bank on the same road. How long this situation will exist? However, hundreds of tourists are still allowed to go to the Jetty, and somehow some of them get passes. When I had gone to the SBI -D.Paula branch yesterday (4th Oct) I saw that customers had to venture through a tiny unstable wooden plank to go to the Bank over a dug road done for the sewage GSIDC contractor. While returning I found an 80 year old man had lost his balance on this wooden plank and had fallen into the gutter and I helped him to come out. He had bruises this time, and could have been badly hurt. I stayed for sometime helping people cross but this needs a full time person and a broader and stable plank! And after this, I saw a 4-wheeler tourist taxi of outside state registration getting stuck on this road as he could not proceed further! Upon my inquiry I found that the driver had a coupon issued by Hotel Prainha for this vehicle to take guests from their Hotel. I reported this immediately to the Outpost D.Paula Police Station where the lone policeman managing this outpost told me that he has no control over these affairs as the passes are issued by Hotel Prainha management with the permission of higher Govt. authorities and the contractor at the road gate is managing the show. A lonely traffic policeman was found standing near the NIO office gate instead of the entrance to the Jetty road. I asked the traffic man why he was standing at the place where it was not required and he said that since he is a lone police man he cannot look after all the area. He said that the place he was at, is also important because the road goes to the Governor's palace, and it is crowded by the tourist vehicles. I called up the Traffic Police in-charge Mr. Prabakar Angle and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to inform them about this situation and the MESS at D.Paula but unfortunately both their Mobiles were switched OFF. The Outpost Police who has only one policeman definitely cannot do anything. Even if more police men are appointed there I feel it will not solve this disgraceful situation. Therefore I request the Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar to stop this menace of tourism activities at the Jetty until the sewage digging work is repaired and the Bus Stand is built for these tourist buses that are seen parking on all the roads at and around the D.Paula junction even near the Police Station. This is a junction for roads from Bambolim, Panjim and Cabo Raj Niwas. In case the Tourism Minister cannot come to the rescue of the residents of D.Paula, I request the Governor and the Chief Minister to direct the tourist traffic to stop coming to this Jetty as there is no important tourist attraction at the Jetty except a view of the sea and the Marmagoa harbour. This may prove unpopular to a travel agency called “Sharda Travels” and a nearby restaurant which are probably minting money as they seem to have the blessings from the Government to run the show. However the local residents, students and staff of Our lady of Rosary schools in the area, and people working in this area, including hundreds of NIO staff, Manipal Staff, 5-star Cidade de Goa and Bambolim Beach Resort staff and other Hotels will heave a sigh of relief as they will be able to resume living at D. Paula rather than suffering at D. Paula. Stephen Dias Resident of D.Paula Mob. 9422443110