MARGAO
A notification dated July 16, 2024, issued by South Goa District Magistrate Asvin Chandru, IAS, had closed the roads leading to the Seraulim subway near LC-45 Seraulim.
Reason: The PWD Executive Engineer, Div. VI, Roads, had submitted a report dated July 1, 2024, to the District Collector with a request to issue a temporary notification for the closure of the road leading to the subway of LC-45 as the subway gets flooded during the monsoon season up to September 30 in the public interest.
The subway barricaded for traffic as per the Collector’s notification. Santosh Mirajkar
The road closure was temporary in nature, as evidenced by the fact that the notification was to remain in force up to September 30, 2024. However, what was purely meant as a temporary measure in the public interest seems to have become a permanent feature, with the subway remaining shut to date, even as the District Collector’s notification lapsed over a month ago on September 30.
Locals and motorists find themselves in a tight situation as the subway still remains waterlogged to date. The present situation has left the locals wondering whether the Konkan Railway, the PWD, or the District Disaster Management Authority, South, have run out of ideas to drain the accumulated water from the subway and make it operational and motorable. Fears are being raised that the subway may be permanently shut for vehicular traffic due to waterlogging, at a time when the frequency of the trains running on the Konkan railway track has increased manifold in recent times.
A visit to the Seraulim subway revealed that the road underpass was waterlogged even though the rains had subsided. That’s not all. A portion of the subway has been left damaged, with steel rods protruding out, posing a danger and causing road accidents, which had prompted the Seraulim village panchayat to write to the office of the District Collector for action and closure.
When 'The Goan' contacted a senior district official to shed light on the situation, the official admitted that the notification had lapsed. The official hinted at convening a meeting of the Konkan Railway and PWD, Roads, to find a solution to the waterlogged subway.
The Seraulim railway crossing is often closed to traffic due to the increased frequency of trains running on the tracks. File photo
Promised relief turns to frustration as project fails to fulfil purpose
What ails the Seraulim road underpass, which was proposed to ease traffic congestion in Seraulim village caused by the frequent closure of the Seraulim railway crossing for vehicular traffic?
Residents of Seraulim pointed out that it’s now a year and a half since motorists started using the Seraulim road underpass at LC-45 Seraulim in March 2023. The subway was built by the Konkan Railway on a cost-sharing basis with the Goa government. In fact, the subway was proposed as a temporary solution to the frequent closure of the Seraulim railway crossing.
Says ex-Seraulim Panch member Kevin D’Souza: “When the project was proposed, we, the villagers, understood that the underpass would not be motorable during flood-like situations. However, it would be motorable when the floodwaters recede, and we had insisted on proper drainage. The road has been in use since March 2023, and now in this monsoon season, there has been massive waterlogging, which continues to date.”
He added: “The steel used for the subway base has come out, causing danger to motorists. A lot of people have accidentally fallen into a hole that was not visible as it was inundated. The panchayat complained to the PWD, Collector’s office, and MLA, which in turn has resulted in the closure of the underpass due to safety reasons.”
He further added: “What we see on the ground is that the water from the nullah is directly flowing into the underpass, and the drainage made for the underpass is clogged with mud, with no drainage whatsoever. If attention is not paid to this underpass, we are afraid that more damage could be caused, and the purpose for which the project was designed could be lost.”
Issues and solutions: Villagers have pointed out that the absence of drainage and the lack of upkeep and maintenance are the major causes behind the bad condition of the subway. A local claimed that the pre-cast concrete tunnel did not fit well, creating a depression that holds water inside the underpass. Another reason cited for the waterlogging is the direct flow of storm nullah water into the underpass.
In this respect, an inspection of the subway was arranged with the participation of the villagers, Konkan Railway, and PWD officials, but locals wondered whether the inspection helped ease the situation.
Solutions suggested by the locals include the installation of water suction pumps on the lines of the Comba Subway, increasing the height of the subway floor for smooth drainage of water, etc.
Konkan Railway looks for a solution: The Konkan Railway Corporation Regional Manager had on February 8 last conceded during a joint inspection of the Seraulim subway that water is indeed stagnating inside the Seraulim underpass.
The senior KRC official had stressed the need to resolve the issue, even saying the railways will work out a solution to resolve the issue with the right technology. “We have to find a solution. Nothing is impossible with the available technology, money, and time. The only question that needs to be answered is the cost factor,” the official said.
Whether the KRC, which built the subway in 2023, has come up with a solution to the waterlogging at the Seraulim subway is still unclear.
KRC senior official Baban Ghatge, when contacted on Monday, said he would discuss with the Konkan Railway engineering team the issues facing the Seraulim subway before offering any comment.
