PANAJI
The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has requested the Goa government to undertake a technical audit of the bridges and culverts in the State by a committee of experts to ascertain their structural stability. Most of the bridges and culverts in Goa (barring a few major ones) were built during the Portuguese era.
“They were designed for certain carrying capacities keeping in mind the limited traffic projections envisaged at those times. These bridges and culverts are very old and we are uncertain of their present conditions and current load bearing capacities,” states GCCI.
Reminding that when a portion of the Bailey bridge at Borim collapsed in 2017 sending a direct warning signal to us that we need to take up the assessment work on topmost priority, GCCI asserts that it had requested the government then, too. After the bridge at Mahad collapsed in 2016, similar requests were made. “We do not know whether a committee has been constituted with persons of technical competence to verify the structural stability of the bridges and culverts and a report has been submitted by them,” says GCCI president, Manoj Caculo.
In a letter to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Caculo has requested the government to come out publicly on the current standing of GCCI’s request as it is seen that not much work has been undertaken for repairs.
