the goan I network
CANACONA
The damage caused by a container truck at the Ordhofond bridge has been repaired. The damages were caused when the truck drove off the bridge and landed on the dry bed of Talpona river at Bhatpal. The truck was removed on from the accident spot.
The railings of the bridge were damaged in the accident. The repair work was carried out by PWD. Residents have thanked Canacona MLA for urging the PWD to undertake the work.
The quick attention from PWD (Highway) to repair the broken railings came for special appreciation from the residents, many also complementing Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes for getting the works completed in a record period.
‘When the same railings were destroyed by a tanker (which narrowly missed falling down the bridge then) two years ago, it took more and one and half years for the PWD (Highway) to repair the same, inviting lots of discontent amongst the residents. Then too it was our MLA Fernandes who had to take up the issue with government successfully, after people complained of undue delay’, informed Congress General Secretary Mahadev Dessai.
Poinguinim panch Provir Bhandari, stated, ‘It is again due to constant follow up by MLA Fernandes, the restoration works have been taken up so quickly this time aroud’.
The fitting of railings which began on Sunday were completed on Monday, restoring the confidence of motorists plying and pedestrian walking on the bridge.
It may be recalled that on 6th June, a loaded container coming from Karwar hit the Ordhafond bridge railings, cut it across and plunged into the dry Talpona river bed below destroying along a water pipeline line supplying Chapoli dam water to the villages of Poinguinim and Loliem,
The Water pipeline was restored within a period three days itself. The container which dived into the dry river bed was also removed last Friday.
People are however, still apprehensive about the safety of the Portuguese era bridge, which during the state’s liberation movement was blown-off by the Portugese regime to stop entry of Indian Army from Karwar side. Later, the bridge was repaired though Gammon India, and since then, this bridge is the only link between Karnataka and Goa in the south-west side, often being hit and suffering damages to its structures.
To restore peoples confidence into the safety of the Ordhofond bridge, Sanju Naik social activist of Bhatpal said , ‘ PWD should conduct regular checks and inspections of this bridge considering the past mishaps that may have weakened this important bridge, particularly now, hundreds of heavy vehicles crosses over it, since the diversion of Anmodghat traffic via Polem border.
