CANACONA: Regular commuters from Canacona to Margao are irked over the frequent digging and dumping of the excavated soil on the NH66 by the cable laying contractors at Gulem and Padi.
Manual labourers are seen manually excavating soil to make trenches by the NH66 to lay cables for a reputed cellular company, with limited space on the side of the road to stack the soil. With no other option the labourers stack it on the road thereby creating a hazardous situation on this stretch of the road. Locals complain that as it is, this stretch of the NH66 is narrow and full of blind curves. With the contractor now using the carpeted portion of the road to dump the excavated loose soil, this has reportedly become another reason for making this road accident prone.
As per the orders issued by the authorities before roadside digging is undertaken it is clearly mentioned that the excavated soil will not be stacked on the road and under no circumstances the road will be obstructed for the movement of pedestrians and traffic but with lack of supervision from PWD highways and the contractors the labourers allegedly seem to care a hoot for the road safety and existing laws of the state.
There are neither warning signboards nor tapes used to warn road users of the work in progress where this digging is undertaken. Sometimes the children of the labourers are reportedly seen playing beside the work site by themselves with no supervision posing danger to themselves and the motor vehicles passing on the highway.
Locals frequenting this part of the NH66 are blaming the NH patrol police for not making any effort to keep this road hazardous free and are reportedly seen sitting in their patrol vehicle in the shade of trees.
Pradeep Mokhardakar, who regularly uses this road with his two-wheeler, complains of this patrol mounted police found mostly in the company of traffic police near electricity substation at Charasta and even complains to this effect fall on deaf ears.
“Many a time the two wheelers are the most affected as in case of applying breaks in emergency situations the tyres slip as there is loose soil with gravels underneath leading to accidents which sometime are fatal”, Mokhardakar said.
When asked about the dumping of soil by the workers at Padi and Gulem on the road the assistant engineer of PWD highways Mahantesh R. Hiremath said that “as per the written instructions issued while undertaking digging trenches to lay cables it is clearly mentioned that there shouldn’t be road obstruction and stacking of soil on the road.”
“I am going to inspect the site today and take corrective action,” Hiremath said.
