MARGAO: Citizens of Margao are voicing their frustration and safety concerns over a gaping pit at Arlem junction, which is causing significant traffic congestion and posing serious risks of accidents.
Speaking to O Heraldo, locals expressed their dismay at the lack of progress in addressing the hazardous condition at the junction. With hundreds of vehicles passing through the busy junction, including buses and rickshaws, the presence of the deep pit has heightened fears of accidents and injuries.
The pit, reportedly dug for a gas pipeline, has been left open for nearly 20 days without any visible work being done to address the situation. The stretch was even freshly hot-mixed just ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s event in Margao in February. This negligence has drawn sharp criticism from residents, who accuse the authorities of disregarding public safety.
Mandar Sanvordekar, a local resident expressed anger and urged the Public Works Department to come out with safety measures before serious accidents are reported at the site.
“We citizens are not opposed to the works, but digging up the road and the not carrying out any work for the past 20 days has added more hardships to the citizens. This needs to be resolved. Authorities just cannot leave the site incomplete, causing major traffic congestion and risk to the lives of the people,” he asserted.
He lamented the lack of coordination among government authorities, citing the recent hot-mixing of the road followed by its sudden excavation as inefficient, and a waste of public money.
The authorities should not have laid the road if they had plans to dig it, said Sanvordekar
Pramod Naik, another citizen, said that this site is already an accident prone zone and a huge pit on the entry road to Margao and Fatorda has created a mess, demanding accountability from the Public Works Department (PWD) for the prolonged inaction.
He added that accidents are being reported over here on a regular interval due to the traffic congestion and the pit is risking the lives of road-users, including the student community.
The situation has also taken a toll on local rickshaw drivers, who have faced hardships navigating the congested area and voiced their grievances over the hazardous conditions.
