Team Herald
PANJIM: The Congress on Saturday demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident of landslide of earth embankment at Curti-Khandepar, where the National Highway widening work is in progress, and to fix the accountability on those responsible.
The incident took place on Thursday at 5.30 am when the embankment collapsed along with the retaining wall and the concrete block support of water pipelines. It led to breakdown of major 900 mm dia DI and 750 mm dia CI pipelines, affecting the supply to Tiswadi and Ponda talukas.
Addressing a press conference, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar demanded that the government immediately order a high-level inquiry into the incident, as the reports suggest that the Public Works Department (PWD) was well aware of weakening of the structure.
“Despite this, no precaution was taken. The engineers and contractor are busy passing the buck. The government needs to fix the accountability and take stringent action against those responsible,” he demanded.
Chodankar said that authorities’ ignorance of the issue had led to major water crisis in Tiswadi and Ponda talukas, where people are struggling to get water even for drinking. “The private tankers have doubled their rates, while government does not have enough tankers to supply water. Also, no other arrangement was made to ensure water supply to the people of these two talukas,” he stated.
Residents of Panjim, Ribandar, Tonca, Miramar, Altinho, Mala, Merces, Cumbarjua, Banastarim and Marcel are left without water for the last three days.
Further, the party has decided to hold ‘Tiranga March’ on August 21 from Agassaim to Cortalim junction, if government fails to smootheen flow of traffic.
Meanwhile, the GPCC alleged that there was Rs 200-crore scam in the planning process of the Outline Development Plans (ODPs) of Panjim, Mapusa and Vasco. The issue was also raised in the House by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat.
“The faulty ODPs of these three planning areas is nothing but a Rs 200 crore scam,” Chodankar alleged.
