the goan I network
MARGAO
The reason is not far to seek. Excavations carried out by JICA to build sewerage chambers all around the Margao municipal garden and down the Metropole road
are all sinking.
While it is not uncommon to find excavations sinking or settling because of the wet conditions, what’s surprising to note is that there’s no dedicated gang of labourers to repair the damage. And the result is bumper-to-bumper traffic on the busy road.
Motorists tend to avoid the excavated area around the chambers, which are located at a distance of 25-35 meters.
On the other hand, one has not come across JICA or PWD officials on the ground to tackle the problem head-on. No doubt, the JICA contractor has repaired a chamber or two around the municipal garden, but citizens pointed out that repair work is not a
one-time exercise.
A JICA official admitted in private that almost all the excavated areas need immediate attention. He said the areas will sink once the rains falls with full fury. “We have to first put a gang in place to carry out soling of the damaged road as the situation demands. The Margao office has drawn attention of the head office to the problem faced by motorists,” remarked the
JICA official.
Surprisingly, none of the authorities, including the Collectorate, the Margao Municipal Council and the powers that be have intervened to have an emergency plan in place. When The Goan contacted Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, he said a joint inspection has been called early Wednesday morning.
“I have called senior officers of JICA, PWD and the contractor to put a mechanism in place wherein dedicated gangs are drafted for round-the-clock repair of the sinking areas on the main road,” he said, adding he would direct the officials to repair the roads with cold asphalt as a temporary
measure.
