MARGAO: Work on the parking of heavy duty trucks at Dramapur and Sirlim village during peak school hours to ease traffic congestion on the NH-17 at Navelim has commenced.
The PWD has carried out filling of the land at Dramapur village, at the starting point of the old NH-17 road for the purpose of truck parking. A PWD official informed that space for parking of around 50 heavy duty trucks is being created on the old NH-17 roads at Dramapur and Sirlim.
Work on the truck parking project, however, has come under the scanner of the Dramapur-Sirlim village Panchayat. Newly elected Sarpanch Domnick Norohna has dashed off a letter to the PWD executive engineer to ensure transparency in the ongoing works to avoid any inconvenience to the villagers.
The sarpanch made a specific reference to the platform of mud erected at the starting point of the old NH-17 road, seeking intervention of PWD officials to address the concerns of the local villagers. “The old road has been blocked by the mud which has been levelled out to create a platform. This will block the access of the villagers to their paddy fields which are adjacent to the old road,” the Sarpanch added.
He also raised concerns of whether the old road will be used for truck parking saying that the NH-17 lacks illumination and it would affect the safety of the villagers.
A PWD junior engineer said the mud platform has been erected to bypass an old culvert at the site as there is fear that it might cave in if heavy trucks are allowed over it.
The proposal for truck parking on the old and abandoned NH-17 road was taken as a measure to ease congestion on the NH-17 at Navelim especially during the peak morning and afternoon school hours.
