Chimbel locals want retaining walls to protect embankment of road

MERCES, MAY 27
The villagers had expressed fears for a long time that the erosion of the embankment of the road near Chimbel panchayat would pose a threat to motorists if it is not attended to immediately.
And their fears came true when, on Thursday, a WagonR landed into the fields after the driver lost control of his vehicle at the exact spot while travelling from Chimbel to Ribandar.
Though the driver escaped unhurt in the incident, the villagers have now demanded that the concerned authorities immediately construct retaining walls on both sides of the roads so that similar mishaps are averted in the near future.
Speaking to Herald, a villager, Lourdes Conception, said the villagers have been highlighting the problem of the erosion taking place, at the spot, for quite a long time in the gram sabha meetings and have demanded that retaining walls be built to ensure that mishaps do not take place.
Conception further lamented that despite their demands the retaining walls have yet to be built and the erosion continues to pose threats to road users, particularly during the night when the visibility is very low.
Another local, John Pereira, said that if immediate action is not taken to protect the embankment, there is every possibility of further erosion taking place during the monsoon, which will pose greater danger to road users.
When contacted, Chimbel Sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar said the panchayat has already adopted a resolution to build retaining walls on both sides of the stretch of this road and has forwarded the same to the PWD way back in the month of March.
“However, the panchayat is yet to receive a reply from the PWD in this regard,” he said and assured that he would request the PWD to at least take some temporary measures to arrest the erosion.