the goan I network
MARGAO
Hours after Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat and citizens threatened to block traffic in the city on Friday if road repair work does not start immediately and dust pollution not contained, the PWD, national highway commenced repair work on the badly damaged road near the Eagle showroom.
South Goa district Collector, Ajit Roy issued directions to the PWD Chief Engineer to take up road repair work on a war footing in Margao, especially around the MMC square and the district library road after Deputy Collector, Margao, Uday Prabhudesai moved a note anticipating law and order problem on Friday if the damaged roads are not repaired immediately.
Executive Engineer, PWD, National Highway Laxmikant Naik immediately deployed three gangs of workers, to lift away the loose gravel and to asphalt the road. Naik informed that the PWD has got the contractor carry out the road repair work, saying the balance work will be carried out on Friday night.
The fast pace of developments came when the Opposition leader along with citizens descended near Bank of India to inspect the road, only to find the area choked with dust pollution. Kamat said there’s indeed a real problem with the road as prominent city-based doctor, V V Kamat hit the roads to demand a stop to dust
pollution.
Saying that this is perhaps the first time in the last 25 years that the National Highway road passing through the city is badly damaged, Kamat told Deputy Collector, Uday Prabhudesai to invoke section 133 of the CrPC against the PWD and direct the officials to start the road repair work by tonight.
The Margao MLA warned that he and citizens of Margao will stage a rasta roko if the road is not taken up for repairs tonight and the dust pollution contained by the PWD. DySP, Traffic Prabodh Shirwaikar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Margao DySP Raju Raut Desai were part of the inspection team. “Start the road repair work tonight and take the work to its logical conclusion by tomorrow. I will personally come to supervise the work with the citizens tonight,” he warned.
Kamat arranged the inspection after citizens led by former MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho threatened to stage a rasta roko in the city on Friday morning if the PWD does not mobilise its men and machinery to repair the roads.
That the PWD, National Highways finally took cognizance of the anger of the citizens became evident when gangs of workers engaged by the office descended on the road when Kamat and the citizens were carrying out the inspection near Bank of India.Who’s responsible for these road works?
MARGAO: Who were the engineers, attached to the PWD, National Highways responsible for turning a blind eye to the poor quality of bitumen used in the hot mix on the damaged road passing through Margao?
When the media posed this question to Executive Engineer, PWD, National Highways, Laxmikant Naik, he was quick to reply that he had assumed office of the PWD, NH 14 only in June, 2018 and that the road was hot mixed two years ago.
Naik only pointed out that he was not in office when the road was being built by the PWD two years ago, and did not shed light on the engineers directly responsible for the construction of the road. As the Executive engineer was struggling to answer the queries, the Margao MLA intervened saying that a probe to nail the erring engineer may take place at the later stage, as the top priority before the PWD is to repair the road and control the dust pollution.
