CALANGUTE: The picturesque ‘Maddani’ road with coconut trees on either sides passing through fields in Pilerne is now a place for photo shoots , selfies and normal hangouts for tourists visiting the State.
Nobody really knows how the tourists have discovered it, but the number of visitors to the place have been rising, locals said.
The 4-km road which stretches through fields from Verem to the Pilerne Industrial Estate has been known as ‘Maddani’ for decades because of the coconut trees alongside the road, residents said.
Over the years, though, the coconut trees had been chopped down for road widening, the new ones planted a few years ago have grown on half the stretch of the road, from Pilerne panchayat to near the industrial estate, making it a cynosure of all eyes.
“A lot of tourists flock to the place in the evenings,” locals said.
The panchayat, meanwhile, has put some benches alongside the road and also planted more coconut trees here.
Talking during a tree planting drive recently, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said coconut trees are also going to be planted on the widened Arpora-Nagoa road. “Tourists come to Goa for the greenery. Wherever we have cut trees for road widening, we have to replant trees and also take care of them,” he said.
