Asmita Polji

PERNEM: What is the future of Keri-Tiracol Bridge? Waste of tax payer’s money, people allege.

Though the Goa Government took up the construction work of the bridge to connect the two separated parts of Keri-Tiracol village, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the State Government to stop the construction work and restart it only after it obtains all the permissions. Till date there is no sign that this project will ever complete, says villagers looking at the incomplete sections of the bridge. 

At present, the project is lying abandoned with no sign of its completion from the government. Estimated to cost Rs 77.6 crore, the project includes construction of a cable-stayed bridge. With absence of connectivity of the two separated parts of Keri-Tiracol, people in both the parts are facing hardship for years while having a ferry service as the only source of daily commute. But most of the time the ferry service remains closed due to frequent breakdowns. Heavy rains during monsoon also force the villagers to travel almost 18 kms to reach Keri side.

Even after being a part of Goa, people of Tiracol have remained backwards from availing services of Goa Government due to lack of direct connectivity and are dependent on Maharashtra Government for basic services such as water and electricity. Though they get these two services from Maharashtra Government, for services such as education, health and emergency, they are completely dependent on Goa.

The incomplete bridge has now left many questions in citizens’ mind as to the future of this project since the bridge is lying as it was for almost five years now. People alleged that without proper planning, government started the construction work and wasted crores of taxpayer’s money.

Once this project gets completed, people who commute every day from Keri to Tiracol and vice versa, will not only heave a sigh of relief from the daily hardship but will also be able to avail the services provided by Goa Government directly. Sources informed that not only working people but many school students are forced to travel almost 18 kms extra to reach to the school located at Keri all the way from Aronda Kiranpani Bridge when the ferry breaks down. The actual distance is not even one km, villagers say.

Many Tiracol villagers face difficulty while commuting to Keri especially when they have some work in the local panchayat and even sub health centre since they have to travel all the way from Aronda Kiranpani Bridge.

“There is no guarantee that the ferry service will remain open every day. Once in 15 days the ferry breaks down and remains out of service few days. Also many times the ferry has broken down while it is in the middle of river. If this bridge comes into reality, many problems will get solved,” a local said.

Though connectivity of both the parts of the village is a necessity, as per sources, part of the bridge that falls in Tiracol area is an eco-sensitive forest land, which also goes against CRZ.