THOMAS FERNANDES
The tourist season along the Calangute coastal belt has already begun, but the required infrastructure, especially the roadwork, is yet to fall in place.
Roads between Calangute and Baga are in bad state due to digging work undertaken by the contractor entrusted with sewage networks. The roads are dug everywhere and the area is filled with dust and water, making it difficult for motorists and pedestrians to negotiate the bad roads.
Though the JICA contractor, who is carrying out the works, has been set a timeframe by the Calangute Panchayat, there are growing fears from tourism stakeholders and locals of every possibility that the ongoing works could continue even during the peak tourism season.
Internal and connecting roads are also in bad state and are being given a facelift due to the ongoing tourist season.
The number of potholes or bad roads in Calangute has now raised the possibility that tourists could well end up spending time on the hospital beds, rather than on beach beds.
Ongoing sewage works along the Baga-Calangute road have led to frequent traffic diversions, which could lead to traffic jams during the peak tourism season.
To make matters worse, roads have been dug up to install chambers for the sewage network, but some water pipelines have been damaged in the process, further aggravating the situation for motorists and pedestrians.
“We are disgusted over the pace of destruction, where bad roads and dust have become the order of the day. Tourists will move away with the kind of development that is taking place in Calangute and Arpora,” said Peter D’Souza.
When asked to comment on ongoing infrastructure works along the Calangute coast, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said, “The JICA and PWD officials have been instructed to coordinate and complete the digging works at the earliest. They have been asked to complete the repair of damaged roads as soon as possible. The sewage works have to continue and completed in the interest of Calangute villagers. The PWD and JICA have also taken up repair works of internal roads, which will be hot mixed later. Everything should fall in place by the month end.”
Calangute Panchayat’s de facto leader Joseph Sequeira is, however, not so optimistic and has even warned of a public backlash.
“We have written to the JICA officials to complete the damaged roads as soon as possible or else Calangute villagers will be forced to protest on the roads. The JICA authorities have taken up a few roads for repairs, especially the worst damaged St Joseph School to Tivai Vaddo road, which also acts as a bypass road during peak season,” Sequeira said.
“We have also requested PWD to immediately carry out repairs of roads at St Alex Church, Boa Viagem Chapel and Calangute Police Station on priority basis, as it poses a threat to motorists and tourists. The Baga-Calangute road is another bad road, where the sewerage work is still going on and things are taken for granted by the authorities,” stated Sequeira.
