First it was the four-laning of the seven-km long road from Dona Paula to the Goa Medical College (GMC) at Bambolim that made the area look like a warzone. Now, it the laying of a water pipeline by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), for which the road has been dug up, that is doing the same.
The ongoing work has not only resulted in traffic chaos and dust pollution, but it also poses a safety hazard to commuters with its open trenches and the pointed iron rods that are left unattended every day after the day’s work.
The digging work has also damaged the condition of the connecting lanes leading to the various residential colonies and areas as huge potholes have developed on them, posing another threat to the lives of commuters.
“Work on some portions is complete, but at other spots, people are left confused as there are no sign boards,” Alfred Mesquita, who recently built a two-storey bungalow along this stretch of the road, complained.
A woman, running a kiosk near the GMC, has similar woes to relate as she too complains of the unending work. “It has affected our business besides affecting our health with the constant loud noise of the digging work and dust pollution. The work does not seem to be ending soon,” she said, refusing to be named.
Interestingly, in places where the trenches have been re-filled, these have neither been levelled nor concretized to the earlier look, paving the way for possible accidents.
“The road has not been levelled. It has simply been re-filled with mud and stones. Motorists are at a huge risk of accidents,” Dayanand Simepuruskar, another local said. He added, “In the rains, the mud will flow onto the road and this will make the situation worse.”
The high-profile locality in Dona Paula has not been sheltered from the problems and the constant complaints of the residents to the concerned authorities have fallen on deaf ears.
PWD Principal Chief Engineer D J S Borkar, said that the work is on and will take another six months to complete. “There is absolutely no delay in this project, as we had tendered the work only after all necessary work including land acquisition and all been done,” Borkar said.
