Tilamol locals wary of traffic jams, overloaded mining trucks

QUEPEM, NOV 18
Constant traffic jams and overloading of mining trucks have become the order of the day along the Tilamol-Rivona road.
Residents of Tilamol Rivona have complained that they have to constantly face the problem of traffic jams over the Tilamol-Rivona road since the beginning of the mining season.
“The movement of traffic on these roads is so heavy that villagers find it difficult to cross the road,” informed villagers from Rivona.
Following a fatal mishap in March this year, mining trucks plying via Rivona-Colomba side are regulated at Tilamol to ease the traffic jam along the Quepem-Curchorem main road.
According to residents, the number of trucks plying on these routes is so much that the line of trucks from Tilamol extends upto Rivona bazaar over a distance of almost 9 kms.
“The movement of loaded trucks from Rivona-Colomba towards Tilamol and the empty trucks moving in the opposite direction constantly leads to traffic jam, which causes unbearable hardship to the common man,” complains Olinda Lopes of Rivona.
She further informed that the villager from Rivona in September 2010 had written to the Quepem Deputy Collector requesting not to park mining trucks along the main road, but to park the trucks at Pandova Sodo Rivona, as suggested in a meeting with the collector in April 2010.
“But the Quepem deputy collector is yet to do the needful to root out the problem faced by the villagers,” said Lopes.
The residents of Rivona informed Herald that that mining trucks plying along the Tilamol-Rivona road are not complying with the order of the High Court with regard to loading.
“The trucks are overloaded and the police deputed are not doing their duty in taking action against the overloaded trucks despite bringing the matter to their notice,” added the residents.
Placing evidence before Herald, Lopes informed that one mining truck plying via Rivona carried two loading slips, a handwritten slip and a computerised copy.
While the handwritten slip mentioned the gross weight as 17,700 kgs, the computerised copy stated the gross weight as 21,430 kgs.
When contacted, Magnum Minerals Pvt Ltd Manager Prashant said he is unaware about the matter and he would look into the matter.