GOING, GOING, GONE: Panjim’s roads are caving IN, Govt apathy is coming OUT

PANJIM: The Smart City works are proving to be a disaster for the residents of Panjim. The shoddy works undertaken under the Smart City Mission stand exposed as the roads in Panjim have already started to cave in.

The 50-metre stretch near the Geeta Bakery and an internal road at Ribandar, Panjim have caved in.

Besides, massive potholes have developed along the Caculo Mall – Tonca Sewerage Treatment Plant stretch as the shoddy patch-up work along the road near St Inez – Taleigao junction has been washed posing a threat to the commuters.

As a precautionary measure, the traffic police have barricaded the damaged stretch of the Geeta Bakery road while on the Ribandar stretch, the patchwork is in progress.  

It is pertinent to note that the smart city works have been undertaken on the above-mentioned roads.

A commuter claimed that the city roads have caved in on account of the shoddy work to lay sewer lines implemented hastily.

“The work on this road (Geeta Bakery road stretch) was done haphazardly without proper rolling and watering to settle the mud in the excavated trench. The contractor completed the work in haste and that too in just 10 days and moved ahead to carry out work on the other stretches. Smart City works are proving to be a disaster for people,” he said.

“It’s not even a month that the sewerage lines were laid and roads were hot mixed under the Smart City Mission, and have started caving in. Several roads in the city have developed cracks and commuting on these roads has turned into a nightmare for motorists,” Rupesh Mahale, a resident of Panjim said.

Dattaram Gawade, an employee at a shop in the Panjim municipal market said, “The roads restored after undertaking works under the Smart City Mission cannot withstand the weak weather conditions. The monsoon has just started and we don’t know what will happen when the rainfall intensifies. God save Panjim. The authorities concerned will have no option other than just carrying out the patch-up work. I am sure that the same stretch will cave in further.”

Attempts to establish contact with the officials of the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) for their comments on the roads caving in proved futile.