MARGAO
A group of residents of Belloy-Nuvem has urged the PWD, National Highway, to have a re-look at its plans of widening the road between Agnel Ashram Verna and Carmel College since the highway has been shifted to the Western bypass road.
A representation made to the PWD, NH, by residents led by Kenneth Dias, objected to the widening of the portion of NH66 from Agnel Ashram Verna to Carmel College, Nuvem. They pointed out there’s already a Western Bypass for National Highway-66, a project proposed by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and executed by the State Public Works Department in order to avoid having to widen the portion of NH66 from Agnel Ashram Verna to Carmel College, Nuvem.
“This bypass is already functional and most of the traffic runs along this route. There are several educational institutions on this portion viz. Agnel Ashram, Indian Institute of Hotel Management, Holy Rosary Convent, Carmel College, Mae dos Pobres School, etc, which house primary schools, high schools and higher secondary schools as well as professional and undergraduate colleges. Widening of the road will be a safety hazard for the students as well as the parents due to the increase in vehicular traffic,” the petition stated.
It added: “Widening of the road will also disrupt the existing electricity cables, telecommunication cables as well as public water pipelines since are already laid in the portion to be covered by the widening of the road.”
They also raised fears that the widening of the road will require demolishing an additional number of residential and business structures along the route.
“We feel that this is an unnecessary proposal and will require a re-look at the same. This seems like a project which was proposed before the Western Bypass was proposed and completed and it would be interesting to see how this particular work has been passed despite the Western Bypass being in existence,” a resident said.
