The accident that occurred last Tuesday on the interior road of Rumdamol-Davorlim, which is attached to the Major District Road of the Eastern Bypass has exposed a dangerous situation to which school students face daily. Amidst fast moving busses, huge trucks and thousands of vehicles, students of over 4 schools in Aquem and Davorlim cross the highway every morning.
The accident on Tuesday may have happened on an interior road, but the incident has forced people to think hard about the safety of their school going children. The fact that the road is narrow may seem like a problem in itself but the actual issue lies in the scrapyards and commercial establishments in the interiors of Rumdamol and Davorlim.
The incident where two sisters, Priti and Ravina were crushed and injured by a truck while walking to school on an interior road in Rumdamol caused outbursts of anger among people who blocked the highway opposite Maruti Mandir. The angered mob demanded the long pending widening of that particular patch of road. Waiting there for a few hours, it was amply clear that the quantum of incoming traffic and other dangers were likely to arise.
Navelim MLA, Avertano Furtado had to face flak from the angered mob who have heard a number of false promises in the past with regard to widening of the road.
On Monday, when a Herald photographer reached the particular stretch of road on the highway, his camera was able to encapsulate the problems faced by parents and students. It was a week on Monday since the accident and surprisingly, even at 8am, there was no sign of any traffic cop to man vehicles at the spot. A police constable finally arrived only once all the students were safely inside their school premises and school had begun for the day. The photographer also managed to capture students coming from Davorlim and Rumdamol crossing the dangerous stretch where buses and other vehicles sped past.
Davorlim and the neighbouring Aquem are educational hubs with over 1000 students in at least 6 schools in the area. Children from all over and outside Margao come to the area every day. Apart from the students that come from far, there are some that reside close to their schools and travel daily on foot. These are the students crossing the Eastern Bypass at least twice a day. The danger for them is therefore multiplied. An additional worry is the narrow stretch of road leading to Rumdamol on which barely a car can fit. Hence, with people walking on the road, it becomes difficult. The road has become a problem area as no land is available for widening.
People who utilize this stretch often demand at least a subway for safe passage of pedestrians which is available in other school areas like Agnel Ashram and Nuvem Church, but is absent here. The new school of the Gujarati Samaj which is coming up adjacent to the highway will only add to the woes. It will force the government and local authorities to think of the future and create pedestrian safe infrastructure.
The problems don’t end here. The area witnesses huge crowds on Saturdays as devotees flock to the Hanuman temple. This makes the entire area more vulnerable to accidents due the traffic jam that ensues. The sides of the road are laden with parked vehicles on Saturdays. Additionally, when there are functions in the temple hall, it leaves no room for people to walk. “We have made a mistake electing such irresponsible and unconcerned panchayat members. We will have to face the brunt of this for a while now,” said a senior citizen from Rumdamol.
It is to be noted that over the years, the frequency of vehicles on this road and particularly on Eastern bypass have increased tremendously due to the excellent connectivity it gives to the industrial estate and also as an exit to south Goa through Navelim.
