the goan I network
MAPUSA
It’s an uphill task. Nevertheless, the city-fathers want to go ahead with their plan to widen roads in Mapusa.
The Mapusa civic body has plans to widen major city roads and construct footpaths wherever possible.
Work to widen the road from the court junction to St Xavier’s college has already been tendered and is expected to start very soon. Now, there are plans to widen the road from court junction to old municipality and in the opposite direction up to Duler chapel.
Plans are also afoot to widen the main Khorlim road from Khorlim junction to Usapkar junction. Similarly, a road at Gaunsa-vaddo which leads to North Goa District Hospital will also be taken up for widening.
Chairperson of Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC), Rohan Kavlekar said people along the St Xavier’s College route have given land on their own and expects others also to do same.
“In future too people should be ready to give consent for road widening. We need footpaths. We need to provide pedestrian-friendly roads to residents of Mapusa,” Kavlekar told The Goan.
Revealing the council plans, he said, compound walls built on road setbacks will be demolished and the municipality will re-build new compound walls.
The plans are to construct footpath on one side of the road while the other side will be used for road widening. “The MMC has enough funds to take up these road widening works. We don’t need to depend on PWD or any other department,” the chairperson said.
He said funds received from the 14th Finance Commission will be utilized only for widening of roads and construction of footpaths in the city.
He further disclosed that the council will also approach the North Goa MP for more funds. “In the last five years we have not availed any finance from the MP funds. Now, we will approach the MP for funds,” Kavlekar said.
Considering various structures along the roadside, road widening in the city will be a tough task but the council has made up its mind to go ahead with the development.
