In need of buses Jan 21, 2015, 02.00 AM IST The Times of India Isidore Domnick Mendes
This village in north Goa shares its name with another counterpart in Salcete taluka as both lie away from each other at a distance of around 50km. Camurlim village, in Bardez taluka, comprises seven wards and nine vaddos including Gaonkar, Bharvan, Vetal, Darvar, Vagali, Mudda, Khairad Dharbar and Antlim. The village also enjoys a revered place in Goa's cultural lore for feni, fishing, agriculture, and extraction of sand and sea shells. Lying at a distance of 10km from Mapusa, the nearest town, the village has the coconut grove banks of River Chapora in the north and is bordered by the villages of Oxel in the west, Colvale in the east and Siolim in the south. Many of the 4,000 inhabitants of Camurlim are dependant on the state-run Kadamba transport corporation (KTC) for their transport needs. 'Camurlimkars' feel let down by the KTC's service as it does not ply buses on Sundays and on holidays. "The main problem occurs on Sundays, when there is no KTC bus service. Sunday means we have to stay put at home. We can't go to the market or visit our relatives. On holidays, we are cut off from the outside world," says Rima Korgaonkar of ward 4. Concurs Prabhu Naik of Bharvan vaddo. "Neither can Camurlimkars think of going out on Sundays or on holidays or think of relatives or friends coming to our village, because, KTC bus operations are completely shut on Sundays or holidays." Villagers mostly go to schools, colleges, offices and markets in Mapusa and surrounding areas. The frequency of the KTC bus service on working days, Monday to Saturday, from Camurlim to Mapusa is also limited. The bus timings are 7.10am, 7.50am, 8.30am, 12.10am and 1.30pm. In the evening, bus services provided by KTC from Mapusa to Camurlim is restricted to three timings, 4.20pm, 6.10pm and 7.45pm. On the other hand, four private buses ply on the route. The first service between Camurlim to Mapusa starts at 6.30pm and the last service from Mapusa to Camurlim is at 8.10pm. Villagers prefer travelling by the KTC service as it provides a concessional pass scheme, and the buses ply faster and are comfortable to travel in. The private buses mostly ply only when they are packed with passengers. Even on regular days, it becomes a nightmare for villagers travelling on buses. School and college students, in particular, have a harrowing time while boarding the bus in the morning as they have to squeeze themselves in order to get into a private bus. For a long time now, villagers have been demanding that KTC operates its buses after every hour. The student community in particular, the office goers, the fisherfolk prefer Kadamba as it allows concessional travel via the monthly pass. "The frequency of KTC buses plying to Mapusa and Panaji is very limited and it is both taxing and frustrating for villagers, especially for students to reach school by public transport, because of the skeletal bus service. For the past three years, my son has been going to school in a private vehicle," said Ujwala Naik of Vaggali vaddo. The Camurlim village panchayat has repeatedly taken up the issue of bus services, especially the Kadamba bus service not plying on holidays, with the authorities concerned. Sarpanch Kalpana Dalvi said "Villagers long for regular frequency of private buses and more particularly, the KTC service in Camurlim. Almost all people are dependent on Kadamba buses for travel. I, myself, travel by bus, whenever my husband has to use the two-wheeler." Deputy sarpanch Dharmendra Parab, resident of Bharwan vaddo, said "We have met transport department officials and the RTO with one demand of having regular frequency of buses, especially Kadamba buses plying on all days including Sundays. But, till date, all our pleas and requests have fallen on deaf ears." Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar agreed that regular KTC bus service, especially on Sundays and other holidays, is a long-awaited wish for Camurlim. "I am aware of the problem caused to Camurlim villagers due to the KTC not operating its fleet on all the seven days of the week. I am in touch with the authorities to find a lasting solution on this issue. The transport officials also don't want to incur losses by plying empty buses on Sundays and holidays. I am hopeful that a lasting solution incorporating good economics and providing bus service 365 days of the year will be found soon," he said. Problem Problem Dead phone lines The villagers of Camurlim complain about crippled telephone landlines. "BSNL landlines hardly function in Camurlim. We face enormous difficulty in getting connected with the outside world through the landline. The non-functioning telephone line completely disrupts internet connectivity which also disables the functioning of ATMs in the village," says Bernard D'Souza, a resident of Antlim vaddo. Rusty power poles The locals say that it is high time that the electricity poles are replaced in the village. "Almost all the utility poles supporting overhead electricity supply lines are rusted as they are over 40-years-old and at many places, power cables can be seen touching the ground. Uninterrupted power supply is a myth because power breakdown is rampant in the village," says deputy sarpanch Dharmendra Parab of Bharwan vaddo. Burden on infra The locals complain that their village too is bearing the brunt of real estate projects taking a toll on the existing public infrastructure. "Like other villages of Goa, which have faced the brunt of haphazard erection of real estate projects, Camurlim also faces problems with regard to its roads, electricity, water, parking, and garbage. For example, the upcoming 45 flats project by the Housing Board has not made any provision for its water needs and it will completely impede the water supply to the village," says a villager on condition of anonymity. Top View Villagers long for regular frequency of private buses and, more particularly, the KTC service in Camurlim. Almost all people are dependent on Kadamba buses for travel Kalpana Dalvi, sarpanch We met transport department officials and the RTO with our demand. But, till date, all our pleas and requests have fallen on deaf ears Dharmendra Parab, deputy sarpanch I am in touch with the authorities on this issue. I am hopeful that a lasting solution will be found soon Kiran Kandolkar, Tivim MLA People's take Neither can 'Camurlimkars' think of going out on Sundays or on holidays or think of relatives or friends coming to our village, as KTC bus operations are completely shut on Sundays or holidays Prabhu Naik, local resident The frequency of KTC buses plying to Mapusa and Panaji is very limited and it is both taxing and frustrating for villagers, especially for students to reach school by public transport Ujwala Naik, local resident Sunday means we have to stay put at home. We can't go to the market or visit our relatives. On holidays, we are cut off from the outside world Rima Korgaonkar, local resident Trivia Camurlim was home to many luminaries including Inacio Caetano de Carvalho, the then Visconde de Bardez, whose house now lies in ruins near the village panchayat; the Mendonca household including the homes of late Francis Xavier Mendonca, ex-mayor of the Camara Municipal de Bardez (municipality of Bardez); late Nascimento Mendonca, famed for the 3 Ps - prose, poetry and politics and Dr Santosh Lad, neurosurgeon. The village thrives with a vibrant past in the field of art and culture. The church of Santa Rita de Cascia (1944) is constructed at the very place where the former chapel was constructed way back in 1751. Every year, between the beginning and mid-January, on a full-moon night, the Hindu villagers assemble for a get-together for 'sarvajanik' or 'bahara xheeta'. Everyone in the village, including Catholics, participate in this feast celebrated either on a hill or at 'Zinttvo', which divides both Camurlim and Siolim.
