Vasco: Cansaulim locals are still facing the brunt of waiting for several minutes at the railway crossing each time they need to cross to go to Cansaulim or to Utorda and Majorda
The Railway over-bridge project, which was supposed to come up in Cansaulim and which could have given much relief to the villagers and other users of this road stretch, has all been forgotten.
Cansaulim Sarpanch Jose Maria Furtado stated that railway over-bridge is essential considering the tourists coming in the South Goa and have to pass through this stretch.
“The demand for this project has been raised since decades. People have to wait for 15 to 20 minutes each time a train passes,” he added.
Furtado also mentioned that the locals also have to unwillingly pass underneath the bogies, endangering their lives. It may be recalled that one old lady also lost her leg while crossing the railway bogie last year.
In the past, the late Mathany Saldhana and former Chief Minister (late) Manohar Parrikar had assured to look into this felt need. Parrikar had also inspected this site of the railway crossing.
On February 18, 2018, a gram sabha resolution to take up this railway over-bridge work was passed, in the presence of Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha.
Since then there have been several joint meetings, joint inspections of the site by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), South Western Railway (SWR) and the State government but the bridge never saw the light of day.
“I pursued this project when I became MLA. Lives have been lost of patients in ambulances waiting at the Cansaulim crossing. I had pursued this matter, but due to some six individuals who refused to give their land for this railway over-bridge project, this project never became reality,” said Alina
Anthony Dsilva, an activist from Cansaulim said that some land owners whose land was supposed to go for this project, opined that instead of having railway over-bridge, it is wise to have a railway underpass, just like the one in Majorda.
“Having an underpass will benefit all people, no trees will be cut and no land will be required to acquire,” he added.
But it’s baffling that the issue has been lying in limbo, with no effort to speed up the decision making process.
Lourenco Dsilva, another Cansaulim local also said that having a railway over-bridge will mostly benefit pedestrians whereas if an underpass is built, then it will benefit all emergency services such as ambulances as well as school buses and taxi operators, who usually have to wait for much time to cross the railway crossing.
