PONDA: Despite the authorities having closed the Kavlem-Khadpaband Road to traffic, reckless two-wheeler riders continue to ply on
this bumpy stretch, risking their lives by using the narrow mud trail kept open for the benefit of pedestrians.
In January, the gnarly road had been closed to traffic overnight, by digging a trench on one end and by dumping heaps of mud on the other end of the road. Before the closure, it was riddled with potholes at the connecting point to the National Highway junction at Dhavlim-Farmagudi and several accidents took place at the junction due to the lack of an underpass or an alternate arrangement for vehicles to safely cross the Kavlem-Khadpabandh road.
However, the closure has led to another problem- local youth take their two-wheelers into the uneven stretch and ride along the edge of the narrow muddy platform, oblivious of the risk of falling at least three metres down to the ground, in order to avoid taking the longer route from Kavlem to Khadpaband.
