When calls to the PWD officials at Canacona went unheeded, the locals came up with an innovative way to highlight the badly maintained Sadolxem Bridge. The locals, who are at facing the risk, have written a warning “enter at your own risk” at the entrance of the Sadolxem bridge. This, they hope, will open the eyes of the PWD officials before tragedy strikes.
This bridge connects Canacona town to Sadolxem, Talpona and Galgibaga wards of Poinguinim village panchayat. So hundreds of locals, including foreign tourists, use this ill-maintained bridge at their own risk. The corroded bridge might be next in line to fall which will result in a major tragedy in the near future.
Earlier, the locals would have a torrid time trying to cross the river in the monsoons as it floods dangerously. The only way to cross the river for the young and old was the canoe service to reach the Chaudi town. After a lot of pressure from the locals for a bridge to cross the Talpona River, a footbridge was built in 2002. Since the bridge is a metal Bailey bridge which is very close to the coast and the river water being salty, the corrosion has been rapid.
After being commissioned the bridge was painted only once and now locals fear the dilapidated bridge will come crushing down under its own weight.
Ervilho Barreto, a local senior citizen and social activist, spoke to Herald and said he had personally highlighted the condition of the bridge to the PWD so many times over the last three years but no action had been initiated. “Is it not the responsibility of the PWD Engineers to have a maintenance plan for all public structures and adhere to it?”
When Herald asked a PWD official as to why the bridge was not attended to despite several complaints from the locals about corrosion, he said, “the work to repair and paint the Sadolxem Bailey Bridge is tendered and since only one contractor participated in the tendering process the file has gone to higher authorities for approval and the work will start immediately.”
