MAPUSA
Welcome to Goa’s tourism belt “ where the road to the beach is a road to disaster.
For nearly three kilometres, the main Chogm Road near Saligao Church “ the vital link to Calangute “ has been reduced to a hazardous strip of broken road and gaping potholes.
Dug up months ago before the monsoon to lay a 33 KV underground power line, it was never restored. The result? A nightmare stretch where vehicles sink, traffic stalls, and tempers boil.
Early on Saturday, an outstation truck sank deep into the broken surface, stalling traffic for hours and causing massive inconvenience to motorists. It was the fourth such incident in just three months, with heavy vehicles routinely getting trapped in the rutted ground.
Local resident Liberata Madeira is furious: “There are no barricades, no safety warnings “ nothing. It’s like the authorities are waiting for someone to get seriously hurt. Our MLA has completely failed to address the problem.”
The damage isn’t limited to this single stretch. The crucial road from Saligao junction to the Pilerne Industrial Estate is in equally deplorable condition. Despite repeated patchwork repairs, massive potholes and uneven surfaces make travel risky.
The situation has grown so bad that public buses have stopped plying these routes altogether, leaving daily commuters “ including workers and students “ stranded or forced to pay extra for alternative transport.
“This is not just about inconvenience; it’s about the image of Goa,” says another resident, Sandesh Naik. “Tourists pass through here every day. What impression are we giving them?”
In a state that promotes itself as a world-class destination, Saligao’s cratered roads stand as a glaring symbol of official apathy.
Residents warn that unless urgent, permanent repairs are carried out, the problem will worsen “ and the next casualty might not just be a vehicle but a life.
