MARGAO
Has the recommendations by the one-man Commission headed by Justice C J Oza constituted by the Centre to go into the issues raised by anti-Konkan railway agitators, in any way ensured smooth movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, especially at the level crossings along the railway alignment passing through Salcete’s densely populated villages?
Amongst a host of recommendations by the one-man commission constituted in 1993 at the height of the Konkan railway realignment agitation, Justice Oza had recommended necessary footbridges where school children have to cross.
Exactly three decades later, questions have come to the fore about whether the Commission did not factor in the projected future rise in road traffic at the railway crossings in the densely populated villages necessitating road over bridges and road underpasses. Or, whether the Commission did not factor in that 70-odd trains will run on the track on any given day, necessitating frequent closure of the crossing.
Consider this for an answer. When Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai descended in Salcete for interaction with panchas, a representation submitted by the Sarzora panchayat highlighted the plight of the people and motorists alike using the Gudi-Sarzora-Chinchinim road.
Sarzora sarpanch Leona Fernandes has sought the intervention of the governor to request the Goa government and the Union Ministry of Railways to construct a road overbridge at Sarzora on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis on top priority.
The panchayat tried to drive home the point to the governor that every time a train ran on the route, around 70 a day, the level crossing is closed for vehicils 70 times a day. Resultantly, all road traffic on the busy Gudi-Chinchinchim road via Sarzora comes to a standstill.
A casual visit to the Sarzora crossing showed that what was highlighted by the panchayat reflected the ground reality. The crossing was closed for traffic to allow a goods train to pass, bringing all traffic to a screeching halt.
Inquiries have further revealed that leave alone a flyover, even a road underpass has not been put in place to date. Even the interlocking pavers at the level crossing are craving urgent repairs, even 20 years after the commissioning of the Konkan railway.
As The Goan tried to ascertain the ground reality and the status at the level crossings along the Salcete stretch, right from Sarzora to Utorda, realisation dawned that underpasses have been commissioned near the Comba railway crossing, Margao and at Majorda.
Around three decades after the Commission made a host of recommendations, a footbridge was built at Seraulim near the railway crossing, but it was never put to use given the location. Presently, a road underpass is in the final stages of construction and is awaiting commissioning.
The level crossings at Davorlim, Sarzora and Utorda have no road underpasses in place, leave alone flyovers. Take note, the railways have recently announced an underpass at Utorda, two decades after the commissioning of the Konkan railway, indicating neither the State government nor the railways have put in the infrastructure for smooth movement of road traffic.
Says the leader of the Konkan Railway Re-alignment Action Committee (KRRAC), Rodney Almeida: “The present Konkan railway alignment was opposed on a host of grounds, including that the line would divide the thickly populated villages and cause traffic bottlenecks. The government of the day and the railways tried to allay apprehensions that necessary infrastructure would be put in place to remove the blocks, but in vain. Instead, they harassed the activists for participating in the agitation by foisting false and fabricated cases.”
7 years after laying foundation stone, no sign of Davorlim road over bridge
MARGAO:
Will the Konkan railway or the Goa government explain the status of the road over bridge (ROB) proposed at the Davorlim railway level crossing?
Well, former union railway minister Suresh Prabhu laid the foundation stone in 2016 virtually from Margao for the proposed ROB at the Davorlim level crossing with much fanfare, raising hopes amongst the villagers of Davorlim and adjoining villages that the days of frequent closure of the manned railway crossing would be finally over.
Nearly seven years down the line, there’s no sign of the bridge taking shape to date. Villagers and other travellers taking the Davorlim road for their daily travel complain of hardships for want of a ROD or RUB at the level crossing.
When The Goan called up senior Konkan Railway Corporation official Baban Ghatge to shed light on the status of the Davolirm bridge, he conceded that the Union Railway Minister had laid the foundation stone for the same. Ghatge, however, pointed out that the proposal did not move forward due to some issues concerning land acquisition.
Why did govt not insist on flyovers, underpasses along Margao-Majorda?
MARGAO:
Even as the Goa government has been accused of extending all support to the South Western Railway to execute the controversial track doubling projects, questions are being raised why the it did not insist the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd put the infrastructure such as flyovers and underpasses in place along the Margao-Majorda stretch?
For, the SWR has not executed the track doubling project along the Margao-Majorda stretch since the double line was already laid by the Konkan railway around two decades ago.
Even local officials wonder why the government did not insist on the flyovers and underpasses since the SWR will save huge money on the track doubling project along the section.
“When the RVNL sought government’s support to push the track doubling project, the government should have insisted on spending funds on flyovers and underpasses along Margao-Majorda where the double line already exists,” remarked an official, adding, “Finally, wagon carrying coals are running on the tracks, contributing to the traffic bottlenecks."
Meanwhile, Konkan railway officials pointed out that the Corporation had offered to build the Road Over Bridges at Margao, Seraulim, Majorda and Utorda around a decade ago. A KR official, however, hastened to add that there was no response from the Goa government.
