Priol is a unique constituency in Goa with majority of its land topography either falling on a steep low lying slope or high hilly areas. The dwellings of locals are located in the area comprising rich and thick bagayats, including plantation of coconut groves, areca or betel nut, bananas as their prime occupation.
However, these villagers living in interiors of the constituency are facing great hardships in absence of motorable access towards the main road.
Over the past two decades they are only hoping someone will come up with some innovative technology or steps to provide access to their doorsteps. In the absence of any motorable access, they have to spend at least half to one hour in walking to reach a road.
Though there exists a pathway, it is on uneven areas making it difficult to even ride a bike towards their homes. It is also difficult to construct access or a motorable approach road due to the topography in kulagars or bagayats to the main road passing through the village. Even though many people own bikes and four-wheelers they cannot take the vehicles to their doorsteps because these houses are located in low lying and hilly areas with various groves of plantations.
Locals have to walk distances of five to 800 metres to reach the main road. Often the villagers are even forced to carry patients on their shoulders or makeshift stretchers during emergency.
Strangely the main road passing from Priol Constituency towards Ponda, Panjim and Marcel is also made up of steep upward, downward, sharp and dangerous turns due to topography of area.
The locals of Apewal, Kerim, Karmale, Savoiverem, etc, especially those residing in the interior of the villages in kulagars or bagayats are facing this problem.
Beside this, the other problem in constructing the approach road is getting NOC from landowners or tenants who oppose access from their property. Those who own vehicles are forced to park them on the road near to their residence and walk home.
Due to this risk some villagers are reluctant to buy vehicles due to the numerous robberies taking place. Those who want to built houses are forced to employ labour to carry the construction material to their property.
Art and Culture Minister and MLA of Priol Govind Gawde said he is fully aware of problems faced by his voters much before he got elected from this constituency.
He said he had proposed to build several access or approach roads in areas wherever it is possible. But the land topography is a hindrance. Gawde, however, said he will manage to bring some mechanism to reduce the inconvenience faced by the locals.
Sanjay Kerkar said an access road at Karmale Kerim is badly needed.
The 150-odd houses in Karmale Kerim village located in various kulagar plantation face difficulty in walking on a half-metre pathway which is slippery during rains. But during emergencies the villagers badly feel the need of access road since they are forced to carry pregnant women on make-shift or temporary stretchers.
This situation also prevents their relatives from visiting them as they have to walk long distance to reach their homes.
Sandesh Priolkar said his house is located almost around 800 metres away from the main road. He didn’t get an access road due disputes among land owners and his property. Although some tenants have purchased property they are reluctant to provide land for access through their property.
He has to waste almost double money on construction of house and half of it for transportation of construction material like sand, laterite, by treading 800 metres distance.
He said for the past decade, villagers are hoping of some steps by government to provide access road.
