MAPUSA
With just three days left for Christmas, the main road leading to the historic Mapusa church tells a story that is anything but festive.
Instead of freshly tarred streets and twinkling lights, residents and visitors to Angod are greeted by a battered, dust-choked stretch of road where the top layer has been completely scraped away.
Calling the condition of the road “bad” would be an understatement. The surface is broken, uneven and perpetually dusty, making life miserable for pedestrians, motorists and shopkeepers along this busy commercial thoroughfare that links the Mapusa market to surrounding areas.
“For nearly two years we have been living with this nightmare. During the festive season, when business should pick up, customers are afraid to even walk here,” said a local shop owner, pointing to the thick layer of dust that settles on his goods every day.
The misery began when the road was first dug up to underground high-tension and low-tension power lines. Soon after, it was dug up again to lay new water pipelines. What never followed was proper restoration of the road.
“As usual, the departments did their work and disappeared. They dig, they lay cables and pipes, and then they forget the people who actually use the road,” remarked Reshma Naik of Angod.
Despite repeated reports by The Goan highlighting the deteriorating condition of the road, neither the authorities nor elected representatives took concrete steps to address the issue.
Last month, hopes were briefly rekindled when local MLA Joshua D’Souza, along with the Mapusa Municipal Council chairperson and vice chairperson, inaugurated the reinstatement of damaged roads in Angod, Peddem and Gaunsvaddo.
More than a fortnight later, however, the ground reality remains unchanged.
“The road is still broken, dusty and virtually unmotorable. Inaugurations happen quickly, but the actual work moves at a snail’s pace,” said Engelbert D’Souza, a resident of Bastora, who traverses through the stretch almost daily.
Residents said they noticed workers sweeping the road two days ago, sparking hopes that tarring work would finally begin. But the optimism was short-lived, with no further activity since then.
“Christmas is almost here, and we don’t know if this road will be repaired in time. People are coming to the church, to the market, to shop for the festival. This is not the image Mapusa should project,” Clement D’Cunha, a resident of Angod.
The dust pollution has added to the woes, affecting not just visibility but also health. Shopkeepers complain of dust entering their premises throughout the day, while pedestrians struggle to navigate the uneven surface.
“If Santa Claus had to come in his sleigh through Angod this Christmas, he would be wobbling all the way,” joked Peter D’Sa a resident, before adding grimly, “He might even crash before reaching the church.”
As Mapusa gears up to celebrate the birth of Christ, Angod’s residents can only hope for a small Christmas miracle “ a road that is finally restored, after years of neglect.
