Team Herald
canacona: Despite several reminders to the PWD( national highways), the contractor for the national highway bypass at Charrasta has failed to keep the diversion at Charrasta in a motor-able condition.
An NGO “Goenkar” based at Canacona had approached the PWD office on Thursday to highlight the pitiable condition of about 50 mtrs road. This stretch was made as a stop gap arrangement till the vehicular underpass over the existing highway was built.
According to information provided by the “Goenkar” President Jack Fernandes, the PWD was requested to get the diversion in motor-able condition failing which they said that they would stop the work on Monday.
As in other parts of Goa it also rained at Canacona making the entire stretch of the diversion and the approach on both the sides like a dirt track creating problems for the vehicles specially two wheelers.
Noticing no action coming forward from the contractor, the office bearers of the NGO swung in to action and were seen with more than 200 locals and councillors demading the diversion be made motor-able,
General secretary of “Goenkar” Vikas Bhagat said initially the representatives of the contractor ignored them and only when the officers of the Canacona administration viz deputy collector, PI and PWD officials descended on the site, relented and by afternoon almost entire stretch was laid with cement aggregate.
This job, he said was shoddy that it would last for a month as the proportion of cement used was not as per the required ratio.
It may be recalled the same contractor was in the news earlier for reclaiming a portion of river at Mashem by filling soil in the river. It was stopped when the locals complained at the instance of representatives from captain of ports. The locals living below Kulty plateau had brought to the notice of Dept collector and GSPCB the presence of highly polluting activities including RMC plant, hot mix plant and unhygenic living quarters of the labourers.
In addition they were releasing water in the open thus polluting ground water and illegally drawing water from bore wells at the site.
A health crisis looms large at Kulti plateau both if the authorities do not act.
It appears that the contractor is carrying on with all illegalities with immunity added a social activist who didn’t want to be named.
