CURCHOREM: Around 2 to 3 km stretch of the Curchorem-Assolda main road is in a pitiable condition and has become negotiable due to potholes at several places.
Herald had continuously followed up and highlighted this issue for the last two years particularly about the 30 meters portion of this road near Cupramodi cemetery, which gets damaged during monsoon and every time the PWD officials giving assurances saying that they had already inspected the site and work order has already been given to contractor to hot mix the entire road soon after monsoon gets over.
“The work order has been given to the contractor after floating the tender and it was supposed to be hot mixed before the onset of the monsoon but got delayed due to the lockdown period, which should have been completed by now,” PWD (Roads) Executive Engineer Ganesh Velip had said when Herald contacted him last year and in similar way local panch member Tony Fernandes had also said to this daily that tender has been floated at the cost of Rs 4.50 cores to hot mix the entire road; but no sign of any repairs except patches have been filed with mud or tar, which has also washed off.
This year when contacted again to Velip and Assistant Engineer Sharad Vernekar, both claimed that the tender has been floated and the work order will be issued once it gets expenditure approval from the finance department.
Joint Secretary of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), James Fernandes said spotting a scooter rider falling down because of a water-filled potholes at Assolda, he immediately called the PWD engineer and told him about the pathetic condition of the road at Assolda and requested him fill the potholes today itself. He was surprised that Power Minister Nilesh Cabral always travels by the same road but he cannot see the dismal condition of the road.
“The people have no other option but forced to travel on these bumpy potholes where people can get backbone injuries particularly for elderly senior citizens,” said Congress Leader Amit Patkar.
He also reiterated that there should be a permanent solution to this road condition, “Simply doing patchwork with mud and stones won’t resolve the issue. The PWD authorities and those who are in power should give a serious thought on giving good quality roads in the first instance rather than going for temporary patchwork with mud and stone every time,” said Patker and urged the authorities not to take people for granted but to act immediately.
Blaming the authorities, another local youth from the area said that there are a number of potholes developed on the roads and on top many cattle are also found sitting on this road. “We have to avoid number of potholes while travelling and on top so many cattle are found seating on this road which some time unnoticeable which could lead to accidents but the authorities don’t give a damn to the issue,” said the local youth.
