PERNEM
Claiming that the NH66 highway in Pernem taluka has turned deadly with potholes, absence of signboards and no protective walls on both sides, former Torsem sarpanch Suryakant Toraskar has said 14 lives have been lost in road mishaps and warned of a public agitation if road repairs are not conducted immediately.
“The latest fatal mishap took place on Tuesday when a mother and her toddler died on the spot in a head-on collision between their car and a truck carrying fish. The road has claimed 14 lives so far in fatal accidents, ever since the road-widening work on the national highway from Dhargal-Mahakhajan to Patradevi began,” said Toraskar.
“The road needs immediate widening and repairs. If the government fails to repair this road immediately, the public will start an agitation,” warned the ex-sarpanch.
“The stretch of road near the Torsem Government School has become very dangerous for motorists. We had earlier objected to the road-widening work, but the government persuaded us to give a green signal, which was our mistake,” said Toraskar.
He also pointed out that the government has failed to take any action against the contractor for delaying the repair work.
Locals said they had complained to the police and had submitted a memorandum to the Pernem deputy collector, but no action has been taken against the contractor.
Besides repairing the bad stretch of the NH66, locals have also demanded service roads to the villages, protection walls and flyovers, wherever required.
They claimed that there should have been flyovers at Dhargal Don Khamb, Virnoda junction, Warkhand Poraskade and Torse junction, which has not been done.
Locals also added that local MLA Pravin Arlekar had visited the road four months ago but the contractor has not paid any heed to his suggestions.
Former panch Umesh Gat also warned of an agitation if the road-widening work was not expedited.
“It’s criminal to have so many lives lost to road development,” said Gat.
