MLA serves 8-day deadline to clear waterlogging at Patnem-Ponsulem junction

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THE GOAN NETWORK
CANACONA: Unhappy over the casual attitude of PWD, Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes has issued a 8-day ultimatum to clear the flooding of the Patnem-Ponsulem-Rajbag junction.
The underbridge area of the newly constructed four-lane road got flooded at the Patnem-Ponsulem-Rajbag junction, threatening to inundate nearby houses for the first time after first monsoon rains lashed the Taluka.
Claiming to have anticipated the situation following a lack of proper drainage system on the 4-lane road passing through the area, worried residents said they had even reported the impending danger to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant during his last inspection of the ongoing works.
On Monday, Fernandes requested the PWD (highway), executive engineer, assistant engineer and junior engineers responsible for the work to inspect the situation in the presence of CMC Chairperson Nita Desai.
Fernandes warned the officials to act on suggestions by residents within eight days or be prepared to face public anger.
Fernandes also pulled up the PWD officers for not acting on the CM's directives, which had endangered life and property in the area.
CMC Chairperson Desai and Councillor Guru Komarpant informed the MLA that the chief minister had passed on instructions to the contractor in the presence of PWD officers, but the PWD had failed to act.
The PWD officers were later taken for another inspection at Galgibaga, where locals complained that accesses to their paddy fields and even to the Church had been blocked due to unplanned works of the Galgibaga bridge.
The officers along with the MLA then went to Maxem to inspect the highway road, which also got flooded and rainwater had entered residential homes.
The officers decided to replace the pipes for cross-drain by constructing a culvert in its place.
“The cross drain pipes were insufficient for heavy flow of rainwater entering the area. The PWD (Highway) will prepare an estimate on urgent basis to construct a culvert there,” Fernandes said.
Besides the chairperson, CMC Dy Chairperson Kishore Shet, Councillor Guru Komarpant, ex-chairperson Ratnakar Dhuri, ex-councillors Champa Pagui and several others were seen complaining about the four-lane works being carried without taking local issues into consideration.