Bushes and no streetlights make Sanguem roads dangerous

Team Herald

SANGUEM: The road to Chiraband and Kalay from Uguem village is totally covered with roadside trees and bushes near Baptista crusher at Uguem making it dangerous for the vehicle riders to use the road particularly during the night and early morning hours.

A distance of around 100 metres is totally under siege by the bushes on the side of the road and this extends up to a sharp turn wherein the visibility of the oncoming vehicles is totally blocked.

Almost half the portion of the road near Baptista crusher and at a sharp turn little ahead of the crusher is under bushes.

Despite the road being widely used by motorists particularly two-wheeler riders residing at Chiraband, Ponsamoll, Darguinim and other villages, the authorities have failed to clear the bushes from the roadside.

Moreover, the same stretch is also occupied by stray cattle which are hardly visible at night. A year ago, two youth lost their lives on this stretch of road. While one died on the spot after hitting his two-wheeler against a stray bovine, the other lost his life at the sharp turn after failing to notice a cow.

Similarly, the walking tracks of the bridge near Deodita Farm are also covered with bushes. And the PWD authorities have failed to clear the overgrown bushes from side tracks. The streetlights on the bridge are also not functioning and this keeps the bridge under total darkness at night.

Francisco Carvalho, a villager, informed that since their installation, the designer streetlights installed on the bridge have remained a mere showpiece.

“Even though a period of over ten years has elapsed since the time of the construction of the bridge, the authorities have failed in making the streetlights functional for reasons best known to them,” Carvalho said.

As the bridge lies in total darkness  at night, youth are reportedly seen on the bridge allegedly using the secluded place for nefarious activities.