Residents and shopkeepers welcome long-delayed relief
ROAD TO RELIEF: Hotmixing machinery at work on the Angod main road in Mapusa on the eve of Christmas, finally smoothing a stretch that had tested residents and shopkeepers for nearly two years.
MAPUSA
This Christmas arrived a day early for residents, shopkeepers and motorists in Angod, Mapusa – not wrapped in ribbons, but rolled out in hotmix, as the PWD finally stepped in to repair and hotmix the long-battered main road, bringing much-needed relief after years of hardship.
After nearly two years of dust, craters and daily ordeal, the Public Works Department has finally laid a layer of hotmix on the badly battered main road in Angod, leading to the historic Mapusa Church.
On the eve of Christmas, hotmixing machinery rolled into Angod and work began in earnest, transforming the battered stretch and bringing visible relief along with a touch of festive cheer to an area that had almost resigned itself to broken roads as a way of life.
The hotmixing continued late into Wednesday evening, with residents and shopkeepers watching with relief as the long-awaited repair finally took shape.
For locals, it truly was a case of something being better than nothing.
For close to two years, Angod residents endured repeated excavations – first for underground power cabling and then again for the laying of a new water pipeline.
While the works eventually delivered tangible benefits such as uninterrupted power supply and relief from long-standing water scarcity, the damaged roads left behind told a harsher story.
“Every day felt like punishment. Customers would hesitate to enter because of the dust and the jerks from the broken road. Just before Christmas, seeing the hotmix laid feels like a small miracle,” said Laura D’Sa, an entrepreneur managing a pharmacy along the stretch.
The dust was perhaps the worst offender. A thick layer constantly settled on shop counters, shelves and goods, forcing shop owners to clean repeatedly through the day. For businesses already struggling, the road condition added to their woes.
“The dust would enter our homes and shops alike. It was unbearable, especially for children and elderly people. Now at least for Christmas, the road looks decent. It feels like we can finally breathe,” said Pradip Naik, a resident of Angod.
PWD officials have assured that the internal roads in Angod will be taken up for hotmixing at a later stage.
