Believe it or not but days after the high profile BRICS Summit concluded, the beautification of the four-lane highway connecting Airport from Verna is now left for cattle to graze and destroy the greenery. The concerned authorities are not even making an attempt to maintain the beautified portion of the National Highway 17 B.
Inquiries with the Director of National High Authority India (NHAI), Goa Chapter, P S Doddamani revealed that after Goa was selected to host 2016 BRICS summit, the NHAI authorities took up the work of asphalting, beautification and illumination on the NH17 B road from Varunapuri to Verna by spending Rs 15 crores. It was also informed that about 200 odd workforce, including engineers, supervisors and labourers jointly put their hard efforts, day and night and managed to complete a challenging task which also included electrification of 400 electric poles within 22 days. But after the BRICS summit concluded, the NH-17 B road, the cattle menace on this stretch of road resurfaced and today the same road having over 500 show plants in the middle of road divider is left for the cattle to graze. This has irked the concern citizens from Port town.
“We thought that after the BRICS 2016 summit, the highway that was beautified would be maintained, but it is sad to note that cattle have been using the beautified portion of road divider either for resting or for filling their bellies with the plants. If this continues then in some days no plants would be seen on the divider and the exchequers money that was used to beautify the road would go in drains,” said Vasco-based social activist Preetam Keluskar.
Interestingly, even the officials of state administration had all clues about the cattle menace on posing serious threat to the motorists using the said stretch of highway. In order to curb the same and also to prevent cattle from any possible damage to the beautification work done on the said road, the Collector South Goa had issued directions to the Panchayats under whose jurisdictions NH17 B road is passing and had asked the sarpanchas to take measures to curb the menace even after BRICS summit. However, after the summit concluded the panchayats failed to take measures in controlling the cattle menace and today we find the stray cattle on the road or on the road divider eating the show plants.
“It is true that the maintenance of the beautified portion of the NH is our responsibility, but at the same time we need help from panchayats to support us in curbing cattle menace as directed by the collector South Goa or else the whole effort put in for the beautification of NH17 B road would turn out to be futile. As the cattle menace has increased I will again write to the Collector South Goa seeking his intervention to ensure that NH road under NHAI continues to remain beautiful,” Doddamani said.
Meanwhile when Herald contacted Chicalim Sarpanch Neelima Naik as well as Sancoale Sarpanch Ramakant Borkar, they also agreed that the NH17 B road passing through their village needs to maintain the way it has been beautified. They assured that they would initiate measures to curb stray cattle menace on the said stretch of road and if needed they would also impound the cattle found on the road.
