MARGAO
Acting on instructions from officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) and National Highways (NH), the contractor has begun repair work to fix potholes on the four-lane western bypass road along the Benaulim stretch.
However, a pressing question remains unanswered: how has the newly commissioned road ” thrown open with much fanfare in December last year ” deteriorated in just seven months?
Is the road’s early wear and tear a result of being constructed on a massive earthen embankment across marshy land and wetlands along the Benaulim stretch? Or does the issue lie in flaws, if any, during construction?
PWD, NH officials have mulled a study to determine why only the stretches built on embankments have developed potholes and craters, while the adjacent portion ” constructed on kilometre-long stilts ” remain intact and problem-free.
It’s worth noting that residents of Benaulim and Seraulim had fought a sustained battle to have the remaining 2.75 km of the western bypass built on stilts. They had argued that the road cuts through ecologically sensitive floodplains and wetlands of the Sal River and that embankment construction could displace water, causing floods.
Following their movement, the government conceded partially, agreeing to build only one kilometre of the remaining stretch on elevated stilts, while the rest”from Mungul to Benaulim near the Mercado Mall”was constructed on large earthen embankments.
As feared, certain stretches of the embankment-based bypass have started to show signs of distress, with craters and potholes surfacing. Motorists have complained that the ride along the Benaulim stretch is rough and bumpy, further raising concerns about the sustainability of the road.
When questioned about the road's deteriorating condition, a senior PWD, NH official acknowledged that damage has been reported only in the section running through marshy terrain. “We have proposed a study to determine whether the issue stems from construction practices or is due to the marshy nature of the land. The study will take place after receiving a government’s nod,” the official said.
He added that since the damage has occurred within the Defect Liability Period, the contractor will be responsible for carrying out all necessary repairs and maintenance.
Villagers’ early concerns ” that filling low-lying flood plains would disturb water flow and that embankments might sink due to the soft, unstable soil ” may come to haunt the authorities.
