A dilapidated stretch between Kankumbi and Chorla along the Belagavi-Goa highway is being asphalted on Saturday. Captured by : Louis Rodrigues
BELAGAVI
In what will be a major relief to motorists and commuters travelling on the dilapidated Kankumbi-Chorla stretch of the Karnataka side along the Belagavi-Goa highway, authorities have once again taken up the repairs of the road on a war footing.
If authorities are to be believed, repairs of the dilapidated stretch are likely to be completed before the onset of the monsoon. The contractor is expected to deploy more men and machinery to speed up work and complete it before the monsoon's onset.
But with the onset of early monsoons likely this year, questions are being raised about how authorities are going to keep up their promise to complete the repairs while maintaining quality.
It may be recalled that the repairs cum reconstruction of the Jamboti- Chorla section of the Belagavi Goa NH 748AA via Chorla was inaugurated on February 24 amid big fanfare by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi.
However, there was a delay in implementing the work dashing the hopes of the commuters. However, after Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant pulled up the NHAI authorities during his visit to Belagavi, the work resumed in early May but at a snail's pace.
However, PWD authorities who were giving the excuse of the Parliamentary elections have now warned the contractor to complete the work, after which the work is being expedited.
“Approximately 700m will be covered with a bituminous layer by next Sunday. Planning to start another batch on Wednesday. The target before monsoon is around 15 km so that there won't be any hindrance to the vehicle movement,” a senior PWD official told The Goan.
There are concerns that the quality could be compromised if there is haste in implementing the repairs of the dilapidated road.
