MARGAO: Residents and business owners along NH 66 have strongly objected to the ongoing widening of the road from Agnel Ashram-Verna to Carmel College-Nuvem, citing the presence of the existing bypass road, called the Western Bypass, for National
Highway 66.
On Wednesday, citizens gathered at the site and demanded that the aforementioned stretch should be de-notified as part of NH 66.
In a letter to the Public Works Department, Kenneth Dias, representing the residents, stated that the project of the Western Bypass was proposed by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and executed by the state PWD to avoid having to widen the portion of NH 66 from Agnel Ashram-Verna to Carmel College-Nuvem. This bypass is already functional, and most of the traffic plies along this route.
He further said that there are a number of educational institutions on this portion, including Agnel Ashram, Indian Institute of Hotel Management, Holy Rosary Convent, Carmel College, Mae Dos Pobres school, etc., which house primary schools, high schools, higher secondary schools, as well as professional and undergraduate colleges. Widening of the road will pose a safety hazard for the students and their parents, due to the increase in high-speed vehicular traffic.
According to the residents, widening of the stretch will also disrupt the existing electricity cables, telecommunication cables, as well as public water pipelines since they are already laid in the portion to be covered by the widening of the road.
A four-lane highway is 14.8 to 15.6 metres (each lane being 3.7 to 3.9 metres), whereas the width of NH 66 is expected to be 45 metres. Continuing the widening of the same will require more residential and business structures along the route to be demolished, he added.
Residents feel that this is an unnecessary proposal and urgently requires a reevaluation. "This seems like a project that was proposed before the Western Bypass was completed, and it would be interesting to see how this particular work has been approved in spite of the Western Bypass being in existence," they pointed out.