Team Herald
MARGAO: Residents of Abade Faria road in Margao are up in arms against the Public Works Department (PWD) for creating wide and uneven gaps between the road and their houses, which they claim pose a serious risk to people entering the houses. The residents have also expressed concerns over the gaps in the drains at the end of the road, which leads towards the sessions court, stating that they pose a significant danger to commuters and have been the site of recent accidents.
Despite several complaints to the authorities, the PWD has failed to take action, leaving the residents to take matters into their own hands. Frustrated with the lack of response, they cleared the drains of the rubble left behind by the PWD at their own expense and handed it over to the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) for disposal. However, the cement slabs in the drains have remained untouched, as the MMC claims that it is the responsibility of the PWD to address the issue.
In a bid to force the authorities to take action, the residents have written to several officials, including South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, describing the turn of Abade Faria Road towards the sessions court as a ‘death trap’ and demanding that it be covered and provided with an adequate footpath without further delay.
The residents’ complaints have fallen on deaf ears for years, leading one resident to declare that the PWD takes their responsibilities lightly. In earlier letters, the residents had complained to Margao MLA Digamabar Kamat, detailing the tribulations they faced due to the PWD’s negligence.
They claimed that the road was tarred without first removing the existing layer, causing the elevation of some houses to be so high that it is extremely dangerous to get in and out.
They also pointed out that the elderly are trapped indoors due to the road’s uneven elevation. The residents have urged the PWD to remove the many layers before adding any new layer of tar, ensuring that the road is slightly lower than the pavement.
