Team Herald
MARGAO: Residents of Nuvem have once again voiced their opposition to the proposed expansion of the old stretch of National Highway 66, expressing concerns over the potential impact on the local community.
A meeting was held on Saturday to discuss the issue, particularly in light of recent statements made by local MLA and Minister Aleixo Sequiera, who asserted that he intends to complete the stretch expansion, "somehow."
The residents have long been apprehensive about the expansion, particularly since a new highway was constructed about 50 meters away from the old route. With most traffic now shifting to this new highway, they believe that expanding the old stretch could lead to an increase in accidents and pose further challenges for local residents and students attending nearby educational institutions.
Several meetings and inspections have already been held, involving both authorities and Nuvem residents, including South Goa Member of Parliament Captain Viriato Fernandes.
Everson Valles, a local leader from Nuvem, pointed out that the western bypass is fully operational and has significantly reduced traffic on the old highway.." There are several educational institutions, schools, higher secondaries besides professional and undergraduate colleges in this area and widening of the road will be a safety hazard both to the parents and students due to the increase in vehicular traffic," said Valles.
Valles also highlighted concerns about the potential disruption of existing infrastructure, such as electricity and telecommunication cables, as well as public water pipelines, which are already laid in the portion of the road that would be widened. Expanding the road further could require utilizing space closer to residents' homes, creating additional concerns.
In previous inspections, traffic department officials had identified black spots and noted that accidents had decreased since the western bypass opened to traffic. Furthermore, the residents argue that the lack of a plan to expand the road beyond Carmel College will only result in further congestion and create a bottleneck at the Nuvem Church junction.
With the recent statements from the MLA, the residents are more vocal in their opposition, reiterating that the proposed expansion would be unnecessary and serve no practical purpose. They are determined to continue voicing their concerns against the expansion of the old national highway.