PANJIM: Almost eight years after the foundation stone was laid by the then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, the Chorao bridge may soon become a reality.
The villagers of Chorao and Divar have for decades now demanded a bridge as during emergency it becomes very difficult for people to travel towards Ribandar or elsewhere.
PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said the new bridge will be constructed under the Bharatmala initiative. “The work on detailed project report is in progress and the tendering process should be completed by the end of June,” Dhavalikar said.
He said this was a long pending demand of the people of the island.
“We will fulfil the wish of the people,” he said.
Towards the fag end of the 5-year tenure, on November 29, 2011, then chief minister Digambar Kamat, and the PWD minister Churchill Alemao laid the foundation stones for twin bridges.
The then government had planned a four-lane 700m cable stayed bridge from Ribandar to Divar and a four-lane 650m pre-stressed concrete bridge from Divar to Chorao.
The foundation stone was laid in the presence of Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar and the then PWD principal chief engineer JJS Rego. While the government has planned a bridge to Chorao there has been no talk about the Divar Island and if people are to be believed they are also not all for it.
“We have been hearing about this bridge for ages. Whenever there are elections around the corner they talk of the bridge,” said a Divar resident Tomas Rodrigues. He added, “If you ask a prominent Divar resident he/she will say ‘they never asked for a bridge.’ It is only the people who stay temporarily in Divar who want it.”
Another villager from Chorao Krishna Naik says, “Let us see when the bridge is built. The elections are just round the corner and these kinds of announcements will keep on coming from the politicians.”
He says the Chorao village gram sabhas have taken resolution for recommending a bridge for years but till date nothing has moved.
“In case of emergency it becomes difficult for even ambulances to carry patients as we have to rely on ferries,” he says.
Another local Anthony Noronha says “this is just a political gimmick. Nothing will happen.”
“How can we believe the PWD minister as the department is not discussing anything with the people? From 2012 we have made 10 representations but nothing has moved,” he said.
He also questioned the sincerity of PWD Minister saying, “we have demanded five ferries and the minister, who also has River Navigation portfolio, is not providing us these. So how do we believe we will get a bridge now?”
