Team Herald
PONDA: Around 1000 sewage chambers have been dug in the middle of the road by the sewerage department for laying sewerage lines for the STP in Ponda City and the Curti Khandekar Panchayat area.
Around ten of them have collapsed in first pre-monsoon showers increasing the risk to vehicular traffic and motorists.
When this reporter visited Ponda and Curti, the chambers were seen collapsed at several places and labourers were seen filling it with rubbers into the holes which were later posing risk to vehicle riders and pedestrians.
Ponda MLA Ravi Naik inspected the dangerous spots where the chambers had collapsed and demanded a departmental inquiry.
According to Ponda locals, at least ten vehicles got trapped in these chambers. A huge hole has developed after a chamber collapsed near the Animal Husbandry office.
People are worried about the poor condition of the road and the poorly built sewage chambers that would pose a threat during the monsoon. Questions are being asked about the state of affairs once the monsoon starts in full fervor.
Further, the work is in progress at various places — both sewage and gas pipelines laying works. It has become dangerous for locals as the condition of the roads deteriorate and the rain water will obscure these chambers. People are demanding a stop to this work.
Ponda MLA who had conducted several meeting to improve the road condition has requested a stop to all the work following the collapse of the chambers. According to Ravi Naik, Goa receives heavy rainfall, hence, the quality work is needed to sustain it during the rains. He expressed strong resentment over the authorities’ negligence despite having directed them to complete the work before May 15.
Viraj Sapre, a local from Ponda said he had complained to the deputy collector requesting a stop to the sewage chamber works and the work to lay gas pipelines. Several vehicles got trapped as chambers collapsed. He said a gas cylinder supplying vehicle, a jeep and a rickshaw got trapped in these chambers.
