Lone road linking Valpoi gets submerged during heavy rains, assurances to raise road height left unfulfilled
A file photo of the main Sonal-Valpoi road submerged during the rains.
Photo Credits: The Goan
VALPOI
For the past five years, life has come to a stand-still for residents in a ward of Sanvordem-Sattari as they have been cut off from the main Valpoi town whenever the main road leading to the ward gets submerged during heavy rains.
What has angered the residents of Sonal ward is that despite assurances, authorities are yet to raise the height of Sonal-Valpoi road.
Sonal ward, which has a large number of houses, falls under the jurisdiction of Sanvordem Panchayat and a tributary of the Mhadai River flows by the side of the road leading to Sonal village.
When the river gets flooded, a large stretch of the road gets submerged to a depth of nearly 2 metres, making it perilous and virtually impossible to cross the road.
When the stretch of road is submerged on several occasions during the monsoon, the residents are cut off from Valpoi town as there is no other road access to Sonal ward.
Among the worst affected are children from Sonal who go to the Sanvordem Secondary School at Tar-Sanvordem and other schools in Valpoi, as well as dairy farmers in the area who need to go to Valpoi to supply milk.
Responding to frequent demands from residents to raise the height of the road, panchayat members are reported to have contacted the PWD several times, but in vain.
The PWD had assured the panchayat members that a proposal would be prepared to raise the height of the road and submit it to higher authorities for approval.
An official stated that once they get approval, PWD would start work to raise the height of the road.
However, despite the assurance, the road is yet to be raised and residents now fear a similar situation of getting cut off from Valpoi town when the road gets submerged in the monsoon.
