Locals demand precautionary measures at junction in Cortalim

MARGAO: Following a rise in accidents at the Arvale junction in Cortalim of the Margao-Panjim highway that passes and connects to various parts of the constituency, locals led by Congress leader Olencio Simoes have warned of staging a rasta roko if precautionary measures are not put in place at this junction.

While addressing media persons at the Arvale junction, locals recalled that a mother of a local resident had passed away recently after meeting with an accident around this spot and that a young couple who were travelling on this road also met a fatal accident recently.

Locals said it is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous for students and their parents to cross the roads these days as traffic police are no longer present at this junction.

Simoes who was accompanied by the Cortalim block members and NGOS besides the local residents also criticised the contractor of the Zuari bridge and flyovers, Dilip Buildcon for allegedly violating guarantees that were there in the tender. “There are no sign boards indicating that there is a traffic diversion. Just some barricades. At night there is no proper lighting.  There should be traffic signals here too. This is a matter of life and death for the local residents,” said Olencio.

Olencio further alleged that the contractor did not obtain the necessary permissions from the South District Collector when it comes to closing one lane and opening the other and he said such haphazard decision making has also provided great inconvenience to the local residents.

He demanded that the Collector look into the matter and close the road until all such precautionary measures are in place and warned that if in a week’s time this is not done, the locals will be forced to block the road themselves via a rasta roko protest.

Local residents also explained that there are four junctions on the highway that locals living in various parts of the constituency use and greater care should have been placed by the authorities to ensure the welfare and safety of the residents. These are internal roads, they added further.

Residents said the ministers including the Chief Minister often pass these stretches in air-conditioned cars and with security but there is no such security for the locals despite the fact that lives have been lost and others have sustained long-term injuries from accidents that occurred here.