SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Team Herald
PONDA: Fed up of the continued digging of roads and fresh excavations by government agencies in Ponda despite the monsoon looming, the people of the taluka have decided to protest on Saturday morning.
Several roads have been simultaneously dug up in Ponda either for underground power cabling, sewerage work or for the laying of an underground gas pipeline.
Even freshly tarred roads haven't been spared, such as the main road leading to Ponda town, which now resembles a war zone as one-metre-deep trenches line it and mounds of excavated mud hinder smooth movement of pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
Set to protest under the banner of People of Ponda, the locals said, "We are not against the work per se, but against the wrong timing, the irresponsible execution and the lack of any coordination among the departments concerned. The area near Borkar petrol pump, where we will be organising our protest, is itself dotted with several chambers that have been dug for the laying of power cable networks."
They fear that the monsoon could commence any time and could fill the chambers with rainwater, posing a great risk to all motorists and pedestrians, and severely affecting the strength of the roads.
Excavation work has also damaged existing public utilities. Recently, a pipeline at Kavlem was broken due to road-digging, resulting in a water supply shortage. Residents are also up in arms about the dust pollution in the area caused by loose, excavated mud being carried all over the area by the wind.
