MAPUSA
Damaged roads may not surprise many, but the delay in taking up repairs of such battered thoroughfares have left many fuming in Bardez.
The condition of several roads in many parts has worsened to the extent of posing a threat to people’s safety. It is not just the motorists, even pedestrians, are finding it difficult to walk on many roads.
For nearly two years now, people using the Siolim-Marna road have been going through a nightmare as almost 5 km of the stretch has completely worn out making the road almost unmotorable.
Apart from the motorists who have been struggling to negotiate the road, several residents leaving by the roadside have had to put up with the dust pollution.
The road was dug up to lay a water pipeline almost two years ago. Although the pipeline work has been completed there are no signs of the authorities taking up the repair of the road.
“We have been paying taxes but the government has failed to provide safe roads to us. Unless the government does not repair the roads it has no right to collect tax from us,” said Sunil Rathod a motorist and a resident of Siolim-Marna.
“We have been travelling through this broken road for the last two years. At least now they have patched it up to a certain extent. During the monsoon, the road had sunk in at several places and we could not locate the potholes,” said Milton D’Sa, a resident of Morjim who frequently uses the road.
The condition of the State highway from Tivim to Assonora is equally bad as the top carpet of the road has worn out at several places making motoring a difficult proposition.
At several stretches, the top carpet of the road has worn out and at some places, there were deep gashes in the middle of the road.
“The main road in Tivim was dug up to lay a water pipeline before the monsoon. The rainy season is over but the authorities are yet to take up repair work of the road. We hope the local MLA pays attention to the pitiable condition of the roads and gets his act together,” said Roland Fernandes from Tivim, Maddel.
The major district road from Saligao to Porvorim has also undergone wear and tear with patches of rough stretches and potholes popping up at several areas along the road.
The Porvorim stretch of the NH-66 (formerly NH-17) has also gone bad with cracks appearing on several stretches of the road.
Although the major district road in Mapusa from Maruti Temple to Carrasvaddo and the road from Housing Board to Peddem received a carpet of hot mix, several internal roads are in bad shape.
The two main city roads “ from Union Pharmacy to Tar Bridge and Khorlim Xim to DMC College “ have completely worn out giving the motorists a bumpy ride.
The Mapusa Municipal Council had decided to get the roads repaired through the municipal funds by spending around Rs 2.5 crore but the plan was rejected by the Directorate of the Municipal Administration.
“We have now requested the State government to allot us some grants so that we can get all the internal roads repaired,” said Kabir Shirgaonkar, Chief Officer of Mapusa Municipal Council.
