PANJIM: A few hours after the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) asking the contractor to keep the machinery ready to prevent any eventuality, several roads in the city were flooded in the rains on late Tuesday evening.
Taking serious note of incidents of roads caving in at many places, IPSCDL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanjit Rodrigues earlier held a meeting with the contractor undertaking the Smart City road work and other officials of the Goa State Urban Development Authority (GSUDA).
During the meeting, M/s Bagkiya Construction Private Limited building the first Smart City road was asked to submit a schedule of his works and to keep his machinery ready to prevent any eventuality during rains.
The contractor stated that he will resume the remaining work in September after the rains subside and would complete the pending work by November this year.
It is learnt that besides doing the works of the GSUDA, the contractor had also undertaken some works in the city in view of the G20 Summit.
The major concern expressed by the authorities was regarding the road stretch from Vivanta By Taj Resort, St Inez junction upto Sheetal Hotel and from there on to Caculo Mall, where the contractor had done blacktopping temporarily so as to make the road motorable during monsoon.
The contractor has now been told to deploy his workers and machinery during monsoon to prevent any eventualities along this stretch. He was asked to ensure that waterlogging does not occur.
The authorities observed that 750 dia high density
pipes have now been laid instead of existing 200 dia pipes from St Inez junction upto Sheetal Hotel and apprehensions have been raised that the pipes will be filled with the surrounding soil and may lead to settlement of road upto the sewage treatment plant at Tonca.
However, the contractor has assured the authorities that in such a case, he will put GSB/milling material and make the road motorable during monsoon.
Worst fears expressed by the citizens came true as several roads in the capital city were flooded in rains with water entering into shops and houses on Tuesday late evening.
The busiest 18th June Road and the M G Road near Don Bosco School were waterlogged and water entered into some of the shops situated along the 18th June Road.
