PONDA: The residents of Ponda are raising concerns over the recurrent issue of road digging in the bustling town, urging authorities to adopt smart planning to alleviate the inconvenience caused to commuters and pedestrians.
Ponda, once again, is facing the challenge of crater-ridden roads due to ongoing development work, particularly the underground power cabling project. Locals express frustration over the repetitive digging, citing instances of damaged water pipelines and other utility services during previous projects.
According to Viraj Sapre, a social activist in Ponda, the development works are essential, but the lack of planning results in unnecessary hardship for the residents. He suggests the implementation of underground utility ducts, like those in Mumbai, to house various cables and pipelines permanently. Sapre asserted that such a system would prevent repeated digging, preserve the quality of the roads, and optimise the funds allocated for development.
“In a smart city, services like sewage, power cables, gas lines, water lines will be required but that does not mean the roads should be dug up again and again,” said Sapre, citing a recent mishap that occurred when workers accidently damaged the gas line while digging to lay power cables. “This caused panic in the area after there was a gas leak, forcing a halt in gas supply, and causing further hardship,” he added.
Residents recall the challenges faced over the past seven years when roads were repeatedly dug for the sewerage network and gas lines. “We thought those nightmarish days of traffic jams, dusty roads and unsafe commuting was over when hot mix carpeting of the roads was recently done,” lamented a commuter.
Sandeep Naik, a local resident, remarks that Ponda has transformed into the ‘City of Craters’ (fonya) and questions the necessity of continuous road digging for development projects. The plea from residents is for the government to introduce comprehensive planning to minimise disruptions caused by repeated digging for various services.
