TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The PWD in its tearing hurry to complete laying the sewerage pipeline at Dona Paula has left the road, leading to the scenic Dona Paula Jetty in shambles.
A drive along road, shows that over one kilometre of the road from the Dona Paula Circle to the jetty has sunk to a great extent.
The PWD, Works Division III, it is learnt has just completed laying the pipeline a week ago and though its trenches have been covered up, are showing signs of depression.
As a result, motorists seem to have hardly any ‘road’ left to drive on and pedestrians are forced to tread cautiously for fear of being knocked down by vehicles.
The Assistant Engineer T L Shirodkar when contacted by Herald said, “We are monitoring this stretch as it is a fact that those portions which were dug for laying the line are sinking due to heavy rainfall.”
Shirodkar said that the road will be compacted with rubble by using road rollers.However asphalting will not be possible until October.
“We are planning to asphalt the road as early as possible but it depends on the weather,” Shirodkar said.
The PWD Division III officials say that they had no choice but to carry out the digging operations and laying of the pipelines even during the monsoons as the sewerage scheme for Taleigao, Caranzalem and Dona Paula is running behind schedule.
In fact even Executive Engineer Dilip Dhavalikar had recently told Herald that the PWD would carry out works during the monsoons on the sewerage line at Dona Paula as the terrain was rocky and easier for executing works, unlike Taleigao.
Presently, the PWD has stopped its works at Taleigao due to the monsoons and hopes to commence the same thereafter.
The laying of sewerage line at Dona Paula forms the third phase of the sewerage scheme which PWD hopes to complete by keeping the May 2014 deadline.
Meanwhile, residents of Dona Paula are extremely irked by the slush and muck they have to negotiate daily and the fact that there is no road in sight. One resident Octavio Rodrigues said, “It’s odd that the PWD chooses to carry out works during the monsoons. It’s also strange that the Collector allows such unabated digging works during the monsoons.”
Works on another portion of the road is still on for constructing a sewerage chamber which will add to the already existing woes at Dona Paula.
