MARGAO
If the residents and farmers of Benaulim offered a Mass at the Our Lady of Patrocinio Chapel, Benaulim to invoke the blessings of the Almighty to enlighten the government to build the western bypass on stilts, the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Rosary Church, Navelim on Thursday blessed the western bypass junction near the Furtado petrol pump in view of the road accidents at the junction.
Parish Priest of Our Lady of Rosary Church, Navelim, Fr Gabriel Coutinho along with the residents offered prayers to the Almighty at the junction to protect all the people using the junction from accidents before going around to bless the junction.
The residents now plan to seek an appointment with newly-elected Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuemkar to find out a way to stop the increasing number of accidents reported at the junction, where the western bypass meets the National Highway.
Navelim Zilla Panchayat member, Cipru Cardozo told the media that the bypass traffic junction has turned accident prone with confusion prevailing at the site day in and out. He said another accident has occurred near the junction on Thursday morning, with the victim undergoing treatment at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim. “Traffic at the junction needs to be streamlined on top priority before we lose more lives,” he added.
Local residents pointed out that the junction has become a death trap with road accidents literally becoming the order of the day with no effort being made by the authorities to streamline the traffic movement at the junction.
Questions are being raised by the locals why an underpass or a flyover was not considered at the junction by the authorities when it is expected to bear the total load of the NH66 in the years to come.
