Team Herald
CUNCOLIM: Narrow National Highway Road from Panzorconi Cuncolim to Patem Balli is like a nightmare to vehicle drivers and other commuters. For the last 30 years the Road Widening project is in cold storage. Neither the BJP government nor Congress earlier has guts to broaden this road. This five-km stretch is so narrow that it is not even fit to be called a Major District Road. It has turned into an accident prone zone and has witnessed deaths of many commuters but the blind government and local representatives show no urgency to broaden this road.
It was 30 years back the then Congress government constructed a temporary bypass from Panzorconi to Balli. The Highway authorities and local PWD Department had planned a full-fledged bypass after a detailed study. This proposal was accepted by the then government.
Even the land acquisition process was initiated but due to objections from some people whose houses were falling in this alignment, the government took back the proposal.
Ten years back the then BJP government had prepared another bypass going parallel to the Konkan Railway line. This alignment was the perfect and had less damage of residential houses
The then MLA of Cuncolim Joaquim Alemao had supported this new bypass alignment but one of the BJP supporters, who had a plot on this proposed road, challenged this in the High Court forcing the government to withdraw again the proposal and made new bypass plan which is laying in cold storage for the last 10 years.
There was a proposal to extend the present road by relocating shop owners and other business houses along this stretch. It appears that no government wants to hurt a few who are losing their structures because of the road widening. The government has no zeal to resolve traffic congestion, say residents.
This narrow road is causing traffic congestion every day with serpentine queues of vehicles, specially during peak hours. This road is also being used by devotees who visit Fatorpa Temple and the traffic congestion continues even on holidays and Sundays.
There is always a traffic jam at the Cuncolim market and Balli char rasta because the road is very narrow in this particular stretch.
“Recently at Balli one young girl lost her life because of this narrow road. More than 25 people have lost their lives on this road. Negligence of the PWD and the government has worsened this situation. Will the government open its eyes and resolve this traffic congestion? asked a local resident Sarvesh Naik.
