Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) has written to the government authorities seeking intervention into the extensive trenching work, negligently being carried out in different parts of the capital.
“We from GOACAN wish to place before you the concerns expressed by various consumers especially women and senior citizens on the current state of the roads in different parts of Panjim. As we have just completed the observation of the 30th National Road Safety Week, we are concerned for the safety of the pedestrians, riders and drivers as the present condition of the roads in Campal, St. Inez and Altinho pose a threat of accidents,” the letter by GOACAN coordinator Roland Martins to North Collector Levinson Martins states.
The forum pointed out that no display board is placed at any of the sites where digging for laying of cables is being undertaken. The board, Martins said, should display name of the agency authorising the work, the name of the contractor undertaking the work, the period of time by which the work will be completed and the mobile number for purpose of contact in case of emergency.
He also expressed concern that no safety barricades are placed at the site of digging nor any warning lights at night have been fixed; all of which are posing risk to pedestrians, riders and drivers. “At places where the digging is completed and the road trenches packed up with soil again there are no signages. In fact, the loose soil scattered on the road poses a threat to the road users as they can slip as well. At places where the road trenches have been packed and a layer of tar laid, the road stretch has become uneven, thereby posing a threat to the road users,” the letter, also marked to Traffic Department, District Consumer Protection Officer, District Road Safety Council and North District Consumer Protection Council further states.
GOACAN has thus sought North Collector’s intervention to issue necessary directions immediately to the concerned agencies like the PWD and the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) so that remedial action be taken. It has also requested to convene an urgent meeting of the agencies concerned to draw up a permanent plan of action so that this situation can be rectified, these roads be brought back to their original state in a time bound manner and also to see that this situation may not repeat itself in the future.
