Call for completion of Benaulim project at earliest
Work on the additional culvert on the Khareband-Varca road at Benaulim is dragging on for months now.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Work on this culvert at Benaulim on the Margao-Varca road near the Mercado mall, proposed for quick drainage of rain water, seem literally dragging on for months with no sign of early completion.
First, work on the culvert had come to a halt over the height after local residents questioned the design, fearing that increase in the height may lead to accidents. Presently, the PWD is carrying out the balance portion of the culvert work, with citizens as well as motorists having no idea over the completion of the work.
Resultantly, traffic on the Margao-Varca road is diverted on the Margao western bypass service road to facilitate the construction of the culvert. Motorists complained of the work progressing at a slow pace and called for completion of the project at the earliest. “At first, only half the portion of the road was available for traffic when the PWD had taken up the project. Now, the entire road has been closed for traffic with the traffic diverted on the service road”, motorists rued.
The culvert was proposed by the central expert R K Pandey, who was sent by Union Minister for Roads and Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari to assess the demand raised by the people of Benaulim for the construction of the western bypass on stilts.
Pandey, however, had proposed additional culverts on the Khareband-Varca road along the stretch running parallel to the Tolleaband water body for quick drainage of flood water in the adjoining river Sal. Sadly, while the PWD had taken up the work on the additional culvert near the Mercado mall, work on the same is dragging on for months now with no sign of early completion.
