TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In the wake of the recent incident of a barge hitting a pillar of the new Mandovi Bridge, the question arises over the implementation of the Public Works Department (PWD) recommendation issued way back in 2008, halting the movement of barges with 1000 and above tonnage in the river.
The recommendation from the PWD followed National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) report about the condition of the old Mandovi Bridge. NIO had said that the damage caused to the foundation of the old bridge should be taken into consideration while increasing the size, weight and height of barges carrying ore through the rivers.
However, five years down the line, the recommendations continue to remain on papers with the Captain of Ports administration refusing to implement the same, claiming that almost 90 percent of the barges will have to stop their operation through the river, thus affecting the State’s economy.
“A proposal restricting the capacity of the barges was sent to the government. We had informed the PWD that we cannot stop operations as almost 90 percent of the barges are above 1000 tonnage. If we had to stop all barges, then the entire iron ore export from the state would have come to a halt,” Captain James Braganza said.
According to statistics, total 542 barges are registered with the CoP of which 350 barges were operational till 2012, until mining was suspended.
The Mandovi bridges are vital lifelines on NH 17 connecting the capital to North Goa, with even the state secretariat shifted to Porvorim.
The PWD letter had said that even the new Mandovi bridge, the Zuari and the new Banastarim bridge had been proposed for an impact of 1000 tonne barges moving at 6 knots per hour.
PWD engineer Ulhas Kerkar said ‘way back in 2008 we had written a letter to the government to restrict the movement of big barges but after that there was no response’.
Last week, 2200 capacity barge owned by V M Salgaoncar had hit the new Mandovi Bridge pillar. This was the fourth such incident since 2011.
Meanwhile, NIO, which was asked to assess the condition of the pillar no 9, that was hit by Sesa Goa barge in February, last year, had in its report said that there is no major damage to the pillar.
Kerkar said that the NIO report states that there is no danger to the pillar. He said that the report would be now forwarded to the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways.
