MAPUSA
The onset of the monsoon has brought significant challenges to motorists and pedestrians along the National Highway (NH-66), state highways and internal roads as large pools of water was found accumulated on many roads, exacerbating the difficulties faced by commuters.
A minor landslide in Sangolda and at least seven cases of tree fall were reported from different parts of Bardez.
The ongoing construction of the culvert across NH-66 at the Guirim-Porvorim border has necessitated the diversion of traffic onto service roads, creating further complications.
Huge potholes have developed at these diversion points, making it arduous for vehicles to maneuver the stretch.
On Sunday, motorists were found negotiating the arduous stretch with great difficulty as the service had developed large potholes within the two days of downpour.
“The authorities should have foreseen this problem in advance. They should have patched the potholes with hotmix before the advent of the rains. For the next four months, we will have to face this grind,” lamented Vishal Naik, a motorist traveling to Pernem.
Senior Public Works Department (PWD) engineers responsible for the National Highways assured that necessary steps would be taken to patch up the roads as soon as the rains abate.
With pools of water seen accumulating at several points along the state highways the issue of bad road engineering has also come to light.
Insufficient measures have been taken to ensure proper drainage of rainwater from the roads.
A retired senior PWD engineer acknowledged that poor road engineering is at the root of these problems.
“All roads are designed with a specified width and drainage system to accommodate utility services like electrical cables, water pipelines and telecom cables. However, most of our roads lack adequate space, leading engineers to compromise the drainage system. Over time, the drainage system becomes completely blocked,” he explained.
He further noted that the practice of placing one layer of hotmix over another has compounded the issue, reducing the efficacy of drainage and contributing to the poor condition of the roads.
As the monsoon season progresses, commuters are left hoping for prompt and effective measures to alleviate the problems caused by inadequate road infrastructure and maintenance.
Sangolda landslide
On Sunday at noon, part of a compound wall of a private house collapsed onto the main Chogm Road at Sangolda, leading to a traffic disruption in the area.
Sources reported that the homeowners took swift action to clear the debris by hiring a private JCB to remove the rubble from the road.
Officials from the Porvorim and Pilerne Fire Stations stated that they did not receive any emergency calls regarding the landslide in Sangolda.
The incident was managed without their intervention, allowing traffic to resume promptly.
Tree collapse incidents
The Mapusa Fire Station received seven emergency calls reporting tree collapses on houses and roads from early Sunday morning.
The incidents occurred across various locations, including Siolim (2), Karaswada (2), Sirsaim, Chapora and Camurlim.
Fire personnel promptly addressed all reported incidents.
According to the fire department, all the tree falls were of a minor nature and were quickly cleared by the fire and emergency teams, ensuring minimal disruption and swift restoration of normalcy in the affected areas.
