MAPUSA
Within months after most of the roads wrecked by sewerage work were repaired, another arm of the government has begun digging the same roads to restore footpaths and drains in Mapusa.
Goa State Urban Development Agency has taken up drains and footpath restoration work at Morod and along SBI-Canara Bank road near Mapusa market.
The digging which started around a month back has caused a lot of inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists alike. “Why should various departments keep digging all the time? The authorities concerned should sit together and prepare a comprehensive plan of the works to be accomplished. If all the departments can plan properly, there won’t be a problem,” said Surendra Sirsat, former Speaker and Mapusa MLA and a victim of road digging in Mapusa.
Seconding him was Mapusa People’s Union Secretary J T Shetye, who said that there was absolutely no coordination among the departments. He also blamed the local civic body for trying to wash their hands off from taking responsibility, just because some other agency was undertaking the work.
“GSUDA may be undertaking the job of footpath and drain repair in Mapusa. But who must have issued licence to them to dig? Definitely, Mapusa Municipal Council,” Shetye said.
He also targeted the local MLA Francis D’Souza, who according to him, hardly bothers to walk down the streets and see the ground reality.
Shoppers and bank customers suffered the most, as the work was being carried out near the market which houses the offices of key banks and shops.
“Some day’s back, a lady customer of Canara Bank fell in the drain while negotiating the dug up footpath,” said Francis Soares, a former Canara Bank employee.
Motorists and public visiting the government complex have also been facing problems, as the dug up road created traffic snarls and traffic jams.
Former GSUDA vice-chairman Sudhir Kandolkar informed that the estimated cost of the ongoing work, which includes footpath, drains and hot-mixing of roads was around Rs 9 crores. He said the footpaths will be paved and the roads will get a fresh coat of hot-mix. “We will try to complete as much work as possible before the monsoon. However, laying of pavers may take place after the monsoon,” Kandolkar said.
