Despite repeated demands from the locals, including Quepem Citizens Committee (QCC) members, to widen the culvert over the irrigation canal behind the Quepem police station nothing has materialised till date.
According to QCC President Evangelisto D’Costa the authorities were reminded on several occasions to widen the culvert as it was built during the Portuguese era in 1950. “Very few vehicles were there when it was built but now the vehicles are increasing tremendously day by day and therefore it is need of the hour to repair and widen the culvert,” said D’Costa and informed that the place has become an accident prone zone as several accidents have taken place at the site.
“Recently a youth from Sao Jose de Areal lost control of his four-wheeler due to sharp turn near the culvert and fell in the canal but luckily was saved with only minor injuries,” added D’Costa and demanded to take steps to widen the culvert on priority basis.
It is learnt that QCC had written a letter to PWD (Roads) last year demanding to widen the culvert and in lieu of their letter PWD sent a letter to the Water Resource Department (WRD) asking them to hold a joint inspection at the site and to issue NOC to widen the culvert as it exists over the irrigation canal but till now nothing has been done in the matter.
When contacted the Junior Engineer in Quepem Sub-Divisional office of WRD, Pradeep Naik, said that although they have an office in Quepem, their office at Margao looks after such matters.
Junior Engineer from Margao office Rameshwar Sawant informed that they received a letter from PWD asking for NOC but without attaching any plan and copies of NOC from the land owners.”They must send all the required documents. We will process the matter once we receive the necessary documents,” said Sawant.
Ward councillor Manuel Colasso said that the road from Karali to Quepem Bazar or at least up to Quepem police station needs to be widened.
Blaming all the elected members, including MLAs and ministers, Colasso said for so many years so many MLAs and ministers are passing over this culvert and everybody seems to be closing their eyes when they reach at the culvert.
