PANJIM, May 23 -- Team Herald

The heavy rainfall over the past four days has laid bare the substandard work carried out under the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) initiative, with sections of the footpath at St Inez having caved in, posing a serious threat to pedestrians.

On Friday, an autorickshaw's front wheel got stuck in one of the sunken portions of the footpath, prompting public outrage. Locals strongly criticised the authorities for neglect and poor-quality construction, accusing the contractors of executing the project without proper planning or supervision.

Despite official claims that Smart City works are nearing completion, the situation on the ground paints a different picture. "See the condition of Sm...