BELAGAVI
Delay in road-widening work and forest restrictions have turned the Belagavi-Goa road via Chorla into a traveller’s nightmare yet again.
After about 1.6 kms long heavily damaged stretches were repaired in May, the road has deteriorated again. Apart from some repaired stretches, the road has developed more potholes at many locations.
As temporary repairs of stretches is not going to resolve the long pending issue, people from Belagavi and Goa have requested authorities from both states to take up the matter with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
In February 2022, Gadkari had laid the foundation for the widening of the Jamboti-Sanquelim road amid much fanfare.
According to the contractor who repaired the damaged stretches in May, of the 1.6 kms that was repaired, a 30-metre stretch near Delta Hotel and 25 meters stretch near the Karnataka excise check post were damaged.
“Water at these spots got stagnated due to which road is damaged. Due to forest restrictions, there is no provision to drain the water,” said the site engineer, Imran Odekar, who is supervising the repairs of the damaged stretches.
Labourers were seen filling the potholes. However, the question of the other damaged stretches continued to haunt the travellers as the major stretches of the road have become difficult to travel.
When contacted, NHAI Project Director Bhuvanesh Kumar said though the road was repaired several times, it is damaged again due to heavy rains.
“We repaired it several times but due to heavy rain, it has again been damaged. We will take it up for rectification for motorable condition immediately,” Kumar told The Goan.
He also lamented the delay of implementation of the much-touted two-laning work that was inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in February 22.
“We couldn’t attend all the locations as the estimate was prepared considering that widening work will be started but unfortunately widening work contract had to be terminated. At a few locations where repair has been done recently, there is some damage which we have asked the contractor to attend continuously and after the rainy season to rectify it permanently,” Kumar added.
