The Times of India     06.09.2012

MMC plans to build skywalk in Margao

MARGAO: The roads of Margao are too congested to walk through, and to tide over the situation a new idea is beginning to take shape on the MMC's drawing board - skywalk.The South Goa district administration and the Margao municipal council (MMC) are toying with the idea of having a state-of-the-art skywalk system with moving walkways connecting the KTC bus stand to the municipality square, a distance of almost 2km.

The MMC has sent a proposal to the district collector to obtain his in-principle nod to have the skywalk constructed through the MPLAD scheme.South Goa district collector N D Agarwal, when contacted, confirmed having received the proposal from the MMC and that the civic body has been asked to prepare estimates for the project so that the idea can be taken up further.Sources informed that Agarwal recently held a meeting with the MMC chief officer, Srinet Kothwale, and discussed the nitty gritties of the proposal.

"The MMC chief officer has been told to get a resolution passed at a meeting of the councillors so that the proposal can be placed before the South Goa MP to be taken up under the MPLAD scheme," a highly placed official in the district administration said.While Kothwale declined to divulge much details saying the idea was still in the conceptualization stage, sources informed that the MMC has also submitted an alternative idea, of constructing a subway connecting the two points, if the skywalk turns out to be an unworkable concept. The subway will have provisions for movement of pedestrians and vehicles as well. A leading Goan architect, sources informed, has offered his services to the MMC to prepare the drawings of the project.