PERNEM: The dangerous National Highway would have taken lives of motorists at Malpem-Poraskade, Pernem at around 11am and at Mahakhazan Dhargal, Pernem at around 3.45 pm on Saturday due to two landslides. Four passengers of the Gujarat registered Alto car escaped from the jaws of death, at Malpem-Poraskade, Pernem, on the dangerous National Highway 66 when a boulder bounced over the car, after a landslide smashed the retaining wall and blocked the road.
Herald TV had highlighted the dangerous designing of the low walls on June 1 and the precarious and badly cut laterite mountain side which would pose a threat to lives of commuters. The tourists were from Dapoli, who were returning on Saturday, after a visit to Goa.
The Driver
Prakash who along with three other occupants, who had narrow escape, narrated
his harrowing tryst with near death. He said one boulder fell just in front of
his car, while another bounced over his Maruti Alto car
Rajan Korgaokar, President, Mission for Local, questioned how such a low wall was
built, when the mountain side was high and was badly cut posing threat to
motorists. The highway constructed by MVR has witnessed many fatal accidents
and this dangerous landslide has put fear and trepidation into the minds of
those travelling on this highway.
In the second
incident on NH 66 in a day, a boulder broke
loose from the cut mountain side at Mahakhazan, Dhargal and was lodged precariously
on the retaining wall. The Deputy collector Shivprasad Naik and PWD rushed to
the spot. No one was injured in the second incident also. Eyewitnesses feared
that if not removed it would roll on to the highway by night. The JCB which was
brought to the site was being repaired.