QUEPEM: Quepem residents have complained that the road in the market area has been damaged due to work of laying the water pipeline undertaken in the municipal jurisdiction.
Criticising the work, the residents said the road digging work in the Quepem market area is a major concern for the commuters and locals travelling especially at night.
Quepem resident Francis Tito said, “There is no proper planning. The work to lay the water pipeline is good but at the same time proper alignment is needed in future to carry out underground cabling for electricity. To add our woes, there is no signboard at the site mentioning that the work is in progress.”
Avdhut Sukhtankar, a Quepem local said, “I fail to understand how can the department and the minister allow the digging work in the ‘middle’ of the road to lay the water pipeline? In the past I never noticed such a thing wherein a main road was damaged. Such things should not be allowed by the department and this work has put the lives of the commuters at risk.”
Assistant Engineer Quepem, Sunil Gawade informed the work to lay 100 mm DI water pipeline is going on in Quepem municipal areas from Conni to Kusman and from Quepem market to Bhata.
He further said that the work commenced 20 days ago and is expected to be ready by January-end next month.
When questioned on the safety of the road in the Quepem market area, Sharad Vernekar, Assistant Engineer PWD (Roads) Quepem said, “Yes there are several complaints from the Quepem locals on the issue. The road is narrow and two oncoming vehicles cannot move freely which causes traffic congestion and to solve the problem, our department will post a supervisor to manage the situation.”
