MARGAO
The avowed objective of these bypass roads and ring roads has been to decongest the highways and towns and ensure free movement of vehicular traffic.
Be it the Nuvem-Raia Eastern bypass, or the Margao ring road or the part-commissioned Nuvem-Seraulim Western bypass, they have indeed helped divert heavy traffic from the congested roads.
The powers that be and the PWD officials, however, have a question or two to answer “ why is the Eastern bypass or for that matter the Old Market-Comba stretch of the Margao ring road or the part-commissioned Nuvem-Seraulim Western bypass have no illumination?
Crores of rupees have gone into the constructions of these bypasses and the ring road, but illumination of these roads still remains a far cry.
Take the case of the Eastern bypass. Commissioned over a decade ago, the Nuvem-Raia stretch of the Eastern bypass has no street lights. When the Manohar Parrikar government assumed office in 2017, the Eastern bypass illumination project has attracted the attention of the government, but in vain.
The issue was also repeatedly raised by Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa and his Curtorim counterpart Reginaldo Lourenco to illuminate the Eastern bypass for the benefit of the motorists and commuters.
One could come across illumination only near the Activa Honda showroom junction, where traffic signals were installed a month ago.
The Western bypass is another case in point. Part-commissioned by the PWD on grounds that the High Court had directed early commissioning of the project, the bypass has no street lights. The Nuvem-Seraulim stretch of the Western bypass has witnessed a number of accidents since its part-commissioning for want of illumination.
The mishap involving a Maruti van and stray cattle earlier this week was one of the host of accidents that has taken place on the Western bypass since its commissioning.
When The Goan called up a senior PWD, NH official to shed light on the absence of street light illumination along the Nuvem-Seraulim bypass stretch, he said the illumination project will be taken up as and when the balance 2.75 km Seraulim-Benaulim stretch is being taken up for construction.
Sources in the know, however, said since the illumination project is part of the construction of the 2.75 km balance stretch, it may take considerable time to implement the street lighting facility along the commissioned route.
“The contractor, which has bagged the order to build the balance stretch has placed orders for poles for the electrification. Once the poles are received, the contractor will install them on the bypass road,” the PWD, NH official said.
The Old Market-Comba ring road which has helped ease traffic congestion in the commercial capital to a great extent also lacks the illumination facility. The ring road was commissioned a year ago after the dozen-odd houses coming under the alignment were razed down, but the entire stretch from Old market to the Comba subway does not have illumination.
PWD, Executive Engineer, Div VI Roads, Prasad Panandikar pointed out that illumination of the road falls in the domain of the Power department. “I had in the past written letters to the Power department to take up the work of installing street lights along the Old Market-Comba subway stretch. I understand the problems faced by the motorists, but the Power department has to take up the work,” he added.
An Eastern bypass road user said it’s indeed difficult to drive on a road in pitch dark conditions, demanding that the authorities take up the work of illumination of the bypass on priority.
