Team Herald
PANJIM: Frustrated over dilapidated condition of roads due to Smart City works, the residents of Ribandar on Sunday threatened to block the
roads if they were not repaired by September 30.
The residents gathered at Patto-Ribandar in protest against the bad state of roads and demanded that the government repair the roads immediately since they were facing hardships for the last one year. They said that during monsoon, they faced waterlogging and potholed roads were posing risk to motorists, two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. There were incidents of people falling on the road and sustaining injuries while negotiating the potholes. They said that since the monsoon had receded, the residents were now facing dust pollution and demanded that the roads be hot-mixed immediately.
The residents blamed the apathy of the government authorities for making the roads non-motorable.
“We suffered and endured a lot. Now, we are giving the government two weeks to take corrective measures to repair all potholed roads. If the government and other authorities fail to repair roads by September 30, then the residents will block the Ribandar roads.
The residents, who staged a protest, warned the authorities that they will block the roads if the necessary repairs are not completed by September 30.
Saish Amonkar, a resident, said that the roads in Panjim have been damaged while undertaking Smart City works. “Similar is the situation in Ribandar, where residents are struggling for the last one year. The Ribandar residents have been neglected by the government,” Amonkar said.
Another resident Wilson D’Souza said that they have been demanding road repairs for the last few months and it has fallen on deaf ears of the authorities. He alleged that roads are repaired and get a facelift only when VIPS or the Prime Minister visits the State.
Another grievance of the residents was the drainage system, which dates back to the Portuguese era, which had now been blocked due to the construction work. This has led to further issues, such as waterlogging and the risk of flooding during heavy rains. The protesters have vowed to continue their fight until the roads are properly repaired and the drainage system is restored.
Ward councillor Sandra Da Cunha said that the authorities had not taken proper responsibility while executing works.
She said that though footpaths have been built, the drainages are not constructed properly. The drainages are built low due to which water gets choked. “This monsoon we had a lot of problems, and it was brought to their (Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited) notice,” she said.
Da Cunha and another councillor Silvestre Fernandes stated that though issues are getting addressed, the work is not done in a proper manner.
“They (Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited) do not have people who can stand there and supervise the works. Most of the time we see only workers, but engineers are not seen at the site all the time,” said Da Cunha.
She said that the potholes are filled with morass which is not the solution because it is creating more problems for motorists and two-wheeler riders. She said that she has now been informed that the roads will be tarred by PWD.
Now, cow dung, mud used to fill Curchorem’s
potholed roads
CUCHOREM: Condemning the BJP government for its failure to repair the potholed roads and maintain them, the Curchorem Block Congress Committee on Sunday filled potholes with mud and cow dung. “Congress has started pothole-free movement from Curchorem by filling potholes with mud and cow dung,” said Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar, who was also present.
Patkar said that people of Goa have seen bad condition of roads and how it has made their life miserable.
He said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had assured the people that all potholes will be repaired before the Ganesh Chaturthi. He said that motorists and two-wheeler riders were facing difficulty to commute on these roads and there were incidents of people falling into potholes and suffering injuries.
He also blamed Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral for failing to repair roads even after purchasing a jetpatcher machine during his stint.
“We repaired roads in a traditional way by using cow dung. During earlier days we used to implant cow dung paste on floors. Same way we have used cow dung paste which will be more durable than asphalt. He challenged the Chief Minister to reveal the names of road contractors blacklisted in last five years. He alleged that the government was protecting one of the contractors, who was responsible for landslides on NH 66 in Pernem.
Patkar warned that if all roads are not repaired within next 15 days, then the Congress party will fill them with mud and cow dung paste.