New culvert aims to check flooding in low-lying areas
The newly-built culvert on the Margao-Varca road was finally opened for vehicular traffic on Tuesday after endless delays in the work.
MARGAO
After endless delays which had forced the authorities to divert traffic on the Margao-Varca road via the western bypass service roads, work on the culvert on the Margao-Varca road near Mercado mall has finally completed.
In fact, the PWD, Roads on Tuesday threw open traffic on the newly-built culvert, giving relief to the motorists travelling on the Varca-Margao road.
The road was opened for vehicular traffic on Tuesday after PWD Assistant Engineer, Nestle Fernandes carried out an inspection. He said the traffic on the Varca-Khareband road will now ply on the culvert.
Construction of the culvert had started on a controversial note after local residents of Benaulim raised strong reservations of the culvert’s height above the ground level. They contended that the raised culvert may give rise to accidents near the western bypass located just a stone throw away.
Taking suggestions of the local residents into consideration, the PWD decided to build the balance portion of the culvert as per the normal height.
Work, however, dragged on for the last several months, putting motorists to great hardships. For, the existing Varca-Khareband bridge road passing along the Mercado mall had to be shut for vehicular traffic to facilitate construction of the culvert, diverting all traffic along the western bypass service roads.
The new culvert was taken up construction as per the recommendations of R K Pandey, who was sent to Goa by Union Minister for Road and Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari to study the demand raised by the people of Benaulim in support of construction of the western bypass on stilts.
The central expert, however, had recommended increase in the number of culverts on the Varca—Margao stretch for quick drainage of the rain water accumulating in the Tolleaband water body to avoid flooding of the low-lying areas of Benaulim.
