Team Herald
PANJIM: The Merces-Old Goa road continues to be a killer road, with accidents bound to happen as the tar on the road is ripped off and filled by mud which causes the road to cave in completely.
This road leading to Milroc Retreat, is shockingly open to heavy vehicles and officially not open for light vehicles. But residents of the area and commuters, seeing through this utter farce are forced to use this road as the old Ribandar causeway road is too narrow with frequent accidents witnessed there.
The situation along this 12-km stretch is dangerous on normal days and with the monsoon it has got worse. Motorists complain that it is not possible to find the right path through the open spaces and difficult to know which area is the road and which loose mud. Yet, the narrow Ribandar road and rising accidents on this stretch, are forcing motorists to take the Kadamba plateau road.
At night the situation worsens, as there are no street lights though heavy vehicles are permitted to ply on this road.
Construction of the road commenced in October 2014 and was due to be completed by May 2015, before the monsoon.
Moreover with no streetlights in the area (either malfunctioning or broken by street urchins), this stretch has become a hub of anti-social activity. Sources at the Electricity department said that installing street lights is not possible while construction is in progress. Till the road is completed, the area will remain in dark.
Some years back, motorists avoided the Kadamba plateau road at night due to the thick forest and the reported presence of goons from Merces and Chimbel who used to loot people. The fear of being attacked has returned 15 years later as residents of the area run scared of anti-social elements.
In May 2015, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) had served notices on the contractor for pollution and asked that measures to control it be taken. Yet, pollution continues unabated on the plateau.
