Nuvem residents slam blocking of road by highway dividers

Concerned res idents of Nuvem and Ver na on Tuesday criticised the blocking of a key vil lage road crossing by di viders installed as part of the widening of the old National Highway 66 and demanded immediate in tervention from the au thorities. The residents were led by former Nuvem sar panch Pausilipo Dourado along with villagers from surrounding areas, includ ing Rumder, Belloy, Patea pur and Anoos. They came out in large numbers at the site to discuss the is sue. They said the closure of the Rumder Road inter section has caused serious inconvenience by cutting off direct access to interi or village roads. According to the resi dents, the highway widen ing work has resulted in continuous dividers being placed along the stretch without any provision for a crossing at the Rumder intersection. They said the road is an important village route connecting residential areas as well as institutions such as a con vent, a retreat centre, the village wedding hall and a water park. With the junc tion blocked, villagers are being forced to take long detours, affecting daily commuting, emergency access and local traffic movement. They pointed out that the old highway continues to pass through Nuvem village despite the exist ence of a four-lane west ern bypass of National Highway 66. The residents argued that blocking vil lage intersections on the old highway has only com pounded local hardships, particularly for residents, senior citizens and essen tial service vehicles. Questions were also raised over movement of students to the schools in the area due to blocked roads. The villagers said they have submitted written representations to the PWD and other concerned authorities, seeking de-notification of the old highway stretch passing through the village or, al ternatively, the provision of adequate access at key junctions, including the Rumder Road intersection and the Nuvem Church junction. They warned that if their demands were not addressed at the earliest, they would be compelled to intensify their efforts to protect the mobility and interests of the local pop ulation.