Life has turned into a nightmare for motorists, pedestrians, and residents along the Siolim-Sodiem road, where potholes and stray cattle have made daily commuting a perilous task. Villagers have accused the Public Works Department (PWD), the Electricity Department, and the local panchayat of gross negligence and apathy.
The PWD often digs up the road to lay new water connections, charging the recipients for road cutting. However, the stretches were shoddily repaired with cement, only to be damaged again by heavy traffic and relentless rains.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The situation worsened after the Goa Electricity Department (GED) undertook underground cable work in December last year, leaving behind uneven surfaces and open trenches. When the early showers arrived, the dug-up roads turned into death traps, reportedly causing multiple accidents daily. The authorities acted only after angry villagers raised their voices at the gram sabha, demanding compensation for physical and mental trauma. GED and the panchayat then hastily filled the potholes with mud and stones — a temporary fix that made matters worse.
Following media reports in the Citizens Herald, the potholes were again patched with cement, but the rains soon washed away the work. “The stubborn potholes seem to ‘vomit’ the cement back onto the road,” said a frustrated motorist, describing the futile repair efforts. Today, there’s barely any motorable surface left, forcing drivers to manoeuvre dangerously around gaping craters and stray cattle.
Adding to the chaos, abandoned cattle have become a major menace in Bancar, Chuna Vaddo, and Pilimbi. Many of these animals, once used for dairy purposes, have been left to wander the streets after their owners stopped milking them — though the same owners continue to avail subsidies from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services.
With deteriorating roads and roaming animals, villagers say they are left to fend for themselves. “We don’t expect miracles, but at least some basic civic sense and accountability,” said a resident.
Unable to see people getting into accidents after landing in huge potholes opposite his house, a villager recently hired a labourer to repair the badly damaged road in Bancar Vaddo. Locals now hope that the Honourable High Court will intervene and direct the concerned authorities to act in the larger public interest before more lives are lost.
