PANAJI: The Dona Paula jetty, a popular attraction for tourists, will be closed for public use due to safety concerns and so that repairs works can be undertaken, North Goa collector
Nila Mohanan said. The decision to close the
jetty within seven days was taken on Wednesday evening after a meeting was held with officials from Captain of Ports, corporation of the city of
Panaji and
Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd.
A decision was also taken to remove the vendors from the jetty till the repair work is completed.
"I will write to the Captain of Ports asking them to close the jetty within a week,"
Mohanan said.
The move to close the jetty for visitors comes after Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd, the special purpose company formed to implement the smart city mission in Panaji, wrote to the North Goa Collectorate seeking the immediate closure of the jetty.
Based on structural analysis, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd felt that the structure was unsafe and that the potential of an incident could not be ruled out.
Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd plans to redevelop the jetty under the smart city mission and is expected to identify an international consultant, who has expertise in designing jetties and marinas.
"An existing status report will be prepared to see if the existing structure can be retained or if a new structure has to be constructed," chief executive officer of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd Swayandipta Pal Chaudhari said. "The government will safeguard the livelihood of the vendors, but safety is paramount and so it is vital to remove all vendors from the jetty."
A must visit attraction for tourists, the Dona Paula jetty has deteriorated over time and Goa state infrastructure development corporation was asked to evaluate the safety of the jetty. The jetty was found to be dilapidated in 2015 and authorities said that since then the jetty's condition had deteriorated further.
