Her death brings heavy traffic on Cortalim-Loutolim road under scanner
TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
VASCO: The mortal remains of Avila Celia Fernandes, the SSC student who was killed in a road accident at Cortalim, were laid to rest on Thursday.
The Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School declared a holiday on Thursday to mourn her demise.
The Thana junction was converted into a fortress as police personnel from all the three police stations in Mormugao taluka rushed to the junction to avoid any law and order situation, after news spread that locals were planning to block the junction as a mark of protest against the movement of heavy vehicles along the Thana-Loutolim road.
Minister for Forest and Environment Alina Saldanha along with Mormugao Deputy Collector Gaurish Shankwalkar, Joint Mamlatdar and RTO officials also rushed to the site to take stock of the situation.
After offering prayers during the school assembly in the morning, the school students along with their teachers, PTA members and the School Manager Fr Diego Fernandes visited the residence of Fernandes to pay their last tributes to the departed soul.
Speaking to Herald, Fr Fernandes said the school has lost a brilliant student. “Since the road is narrow, authorities should divert all heavy traffic plying along Thana to Borim Bridge road via the by-pass constructed through the Verna Industrial Estate to avoid such accidents in future,” the priest suggested.
Fr Fernandes further said movement of heavy vehicles on the narrow road endangers lives of students and residents in the area. He urged local MLA Saldanha to post traffic personnel at the highway junction near the school to regulate the traffic, as students find it difficult to cross the road due to constant flow of vehicles during school hours.
Kennedy Pereira of Cortalim brought to the notice of Herald the ‘no entry’ signboard for heavy traffic, which has been erected at one corner of the Thana junction. “Despite the no-entry board heavy vehicles are plying along the narrow roads of Cortalim and the authorities have failed to act.”
“The issue was also brought to the notice of the panchayat during the gram sabhas, but nothing has been done so far. I urge the authorities concerned to install a bigger no entry signboard so that vehicles could take note of it and take an alternate route,” he added.
