BELAGAVI
Torrential rains lashing Western Ghats region have started to cause havoc in the upper ghats region as the rivers and rivulets are gradually crossing the danger mark, while also damaging the Khanapur-Ramnagar stretch of the Belagavi-Panaji highway.
Huge potholes across the stretch have made it extremely difficult for motorists who are taking other routes to reach Belagavi and Dharwad.
Villagers in the vicinity have sought intervention of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to get the national highway completed at the earliest, for the benefit of people of both states.
Since work began in 2018, the progress of the work was halted due to major legal obstacles including the plea filed by the environmentalists in January 2019.
The High Court stay was vacated earlier this year, paving the way to restart the work. However, as the earlier contractor expressed inability to continue the work due to losses incurred, a Pune-based company was awarded the work that was supposed to restart since March this year.
However, soon after performing the rituals, the contractor left the road site and commuters and the villagers in the region are now in jeopardy. Heavy rains have further worsened the condition of the road that has developed huge potholes across the 26-km stretch.
“Earlier, heavy vehicles were plying on this road, but as the road has been damaged heavily, there is hardly any traffic movement on this road. Even state transport buses have stopped plying leaving the villagers in dire straits,” a villager from Gunji village told The Goan.
Villagers who are now tired of more agitations have urged Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to speak to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to issue a warning to the contractor so that the road work recommences soon.
“We humbly urge the Goa CM to take up the matter with the Centre in this regard for the benefit of Goans and other commuters,” another villager urged.
Meanwhile, the NHAI authorities have asked the villagers to cooperate with them until the highway expansion work is complete.
