Architect who designed mangrove boardwalk offers to repair it, run it for the city

Panaji: Upset upon hearing that the unique mangrove boardwalk behind the Central Library at Patto is about to be dismantled, architect Gerard da Cunha plans to repair the project and maintain it on behalf of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).

Cunha, who designed the boardwalk, said that the boardwalk offers immense value to children, senior citizens, and school students keen to understand Goa’s mangrove wetlands.

“In the beginning, I was quite upset when I heard that the boardwalk was to be dismantled. I went to the place on Thursday to see it and I found that there are parts of it in really bad shape,” said Cunha.

Cunha plans to meet Panaji mayor Rohit Monserrate on Monday with a formal proposal for the upkeep of the facility. “It will take around six months to get the whole thing in shape, but we need to protect the place immediately before the monsoons cause further damage. The repairs could cost around Rs 75 lakh, which can be raised through crowdfunding or other means,” said Cunha.

Spread over 1,100 sqm behind the Central Library, the boardwalk was opened in 2018 under the AMRUT mission. It was meant to highlight the role played by mangroves in the ecology of the Ourem creek.

Made entirely of wood at a cost of Rs 2.3 crore, the project fell into apathy due to the basic neglect by the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd and the CCP. Both entities have been pointing fingers at each other when it comes to upkeep of the project.

With no maintenance, the place has become a hangout for vandals and anti-social elements.