Pipeline bursts, cable faults force exceptions to three-year no-dig rule
Newly resurfaced roads cut open within days highlight coordination gaps among departments.
MAPUSA
Even as public outrage grows over newly carpeted roads being dug up within days of completion, the Public Works Department (PWD) has maintained that established procedures are being followed, while conceding that emergency situations often leave little choice but to permit road cutting.
Superintending Engineer Jude Carvalho clarified that under normal circumstances, no excavation is permitted on freshly laid roads for a period of three years – the defect liability period during which contractors are responsible for maintenance.
“Whenever works are planned and coordinated in advance, there is a strict embargo on cutting or breaking roads during the defect liability period. This is clearly communicated to all departments,” Carvalho said.
However, he acknowledged that on-ground realities frequently disrupt these norms.
“In emergency situations such as pipeline bursts or underground cable faults, we cannot afford delays. Public inconvenience and resource loss, especially water leakage, take priority. In such cases, permissions have to be granted even if the road has been recently hotmixed,” he added.
Citing a recent instance at Taleigao, Carvalho explained that a pipeline leak detected by the Drinking Water Department was repaired before the road was resurfaced.
“Unfortunately, the pipeline burst again after hotmixing, leading to significant water wastage. We had no option but to allow excavation again. These situations are unavoidable and require flexibility,” he said.
The issue has come into sharp focus in Bardez, where at least three instances were reported last week of roads being dug up within days of resurfacing. The recurring incidents have sparked criticism over the apparent lack of coordination among government departments.
Defending one such case on the Calangute main road, Executive Engineer Satyendra Bhobe said the department had deliberately left a portion of the stretch uncarpeted to address pending drainage work.
“During hotmixing, officials identified that the roadside drain required repairs. That section was kept open while the rest of the road was completed. Drainage repairs can take weeks, and delaying the entire hotmixing process is not always feasible due to logistical constraints like the availability of hotmix plants,” Bhobe explained.
At the same time, Bhobe did not mince words over another incident in Mapusa, where a freshly laid road at the town’s entrance was cut open.
“That act was nothing short of criminal. The work was carried out late at night without proper authorisation. We are looking into the matter and will take necessary action against the agency involved,” he said.
Despite these explanations, the repeated digging of newly resurfaced roads has become a major talking point, raising concerns about systemic inefficiencies and poor inter-departmental coordination.
A senior official, requesting anonymity, admitted that while protocols exist, coordination between departments such as PWD, electricity, and water supply remains a persistent challenge.
“There is a need for a unified road-cutting permission system and stricter enforcement. Otherwise, these embarrassments will continue,” the official said.
