Road to nowhere at Curchorem & for years govt is ‘studying’ the matter

CURCHOREM: Around a 30-metre stretch of the Curchorem-Assolda main road near the cemetery at Cupramoddi has become unmotorable once again due to the potholes.

The stretch gets damaged and becomes unmotorable every year during the monsoon season.

When Herald had highlighted it last year, the office of the Quepem PWD roads section had assured to study the reason behind it before hot mixing it.

This was to be done before the arrival of the monsoon. 

However, this year, there was no study. Nothing has been done except for filling it with mud and pieces of laterite stones, which washed away due to incessant rains.

Accepting the bad condition of the road at that particular stretch, local panch members Tony Fernandes said the tender has been floated at the cost of Rs 4.50 crores to hot-mix the road and that he would ask the officials concerned, to look into the matter before hot-mixing it.

When contacted, Quepem PWD Executive Engineer, Ganesh Velip, said he had already inspected the site and directed his subordinates to study the reason before hot-mixing it. “The work order has been given to the contractor after floating the tender and it was supposed to be hot mixed before the onset of the monsoon but it got delayed due to lockdown period, which should have been completed by now,” said Velip

Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, who is also the local MLA, said that the problem would be solved once it is hot-mixed.

A contractor, who undertakes the work of tarring various roads in the State, said that the soil at this particular place is very soft and erases very easily; and therefore the gradient of the road should be lowered further and must be filled with red soil.

 “Since the affected portion lies near the four road junction, the gradient of the road has to be brought down at least 1.75 metres in all the four sides, starting from 150 metres on each side of the main road and at least 100 metres on each side of the internal roads,” the contractor added

What is interesting is that everyone knows what should be done. But the road doesn’t get any treatment.