Team Herald
PONDA: Bandora locals have raised concerns about the inauguration of the four-lane near road at the Safa Masjid junction in view of the absence of the underpass road, which they believe is of utmost necessity.
Pointing out that the same junction is currently being used by locals and buses to reach towards the KTC bus stand in Ponda, locals have demanded that the inauguration of the road be delayed. They explained that without an underpass, locals will be forced to cover another kilometer. They fea that some would still cross the highway junction, which could lead to fatal accidents given the heavy traffic passing through the highway.
Recently, the 7-km-stretch of the Ponda-Belgaum highway had been widened into a four-lane road from Khandepar to Safa Masjid junction at Ponda by constructing several underpasses and flyovers at Kerya, Curti. Now, the PWD is likely to open the newly constructed four-lane road towards Safa Masjid for traffic.
Those opposing this move, feel that given that this is the main junction, where one road heads towards Panjim and the other towards the KTC bus stand, the National Highway (NH authorities should have provided an underpass for the locals as well buses.
Ponda MLA Ravi Naik criticised the NH authorities for spending public money on flyovers and underpass where it’s not required instead of where it’s required.
Bandora Sarpanch Ramchandra Naik explained that NH authorities did not construct an underpass or a flyover at this location as it was prohibited from doing so by the Archaeological Survey of India as Safa Masjid is a heritage site.
While NH authorities have promised to build an underpass closer to the Bandora junction to provide access to the Chirputem locals, the same will take two years time, as the Bandora junction will be constructed in the next phase of the widening work from from Safa Masjid to Farmagudi.
Locals stress that if an underpass is constructed at the Bandora junction, then there is no need to construct an underpass near the heritage site and thus the four-lane should be postponed until that time.
