PONDA: Kundaim locals cleared the road blockade at Manswada, after four days of intense protests and opened it for vehicular traffic after authorities promised them to widen the bypass road, here.
Mamlatdar Vimod Dalal, PWD Assistant Engineer Pradeep Bakhle and other officials urged the locals to clear the road and assured Sarpanch Survesh Gaude and protesting locals to widen the Kundaim bypass road for two-way traffic by May 25 and added that the file regarding the road had been forwarded to the higher authorities for perusal.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials urged the locals to give them some time to widen the narrow bypass and thereafter promised to convert it into a two-way road. The agitators then removed the blockades they had placed on the road and told the authorities to keep up to their word.
It may recalled that last Sunday, locals had blocked the national highway traffic passing one-way from Manaswada, Kundaim, and diverted it through Kundaim bypass following a horrific accident, when a huge trailer overturned and damaged a roadside wine shop before landing on two cars and five bikes.
Luckily, the seven occupants in the parked vehicles had a narrow escape and irate villagers then blocked the Manaswada road in protest against such regular mishaps.
The locals demanded that heavily loaded vehicles should be diverted through the bypass road and cops be posted to keep a watch on the speeding traffic at Manaswada.
