The PWD in Goa has a problem unique to many parts of theworld. It needs to bring roads to ground level. Frequent road laying, not tospeak of road repairs sanctioned multiple times for the same roads, hasactually raised the ‘ground level” of roads making surrounding houses lowerthan the road level.
In Campal, the roads rose by over a foot, in Vasco itactually caused the flooding of the Municipality. The frequent relaying ofroads in the State has had their height increasing. With increase in height ofroads ground-level of houses and shops has been coming down and during therains houses in low-lying areas get flooded.
Authorities have decided to opt for milling technology whilerelaying old roads to prevent the increasing height of roads.
Major internal roads and bridges henceforth will remain atthe same height, as the state Public Works Department is all set to introducemilling technology on roads.
In milling technology the old layer of road is first removedbefore re-laying them.
The state is expected to bear an additional cost of Rs 50per sq meter while adopting the new technology. Panjim, Vasco, Margao andMapusa are facing the issue of rising roads in various localities. In Vascoroad level has increased to a height of 6 inches. In Panjim in areas like Mala,Mahalaxmi Temple, 18th June Road and other city roads have similar problem ofrising roads. Margao too is not far behind and is equally facing an increase inroad height. The situation in Mapusa is worse as road height has increased to awhopping 10 inches.
“After receiving several complaints from public whosometimes have dragged us into court due to rising road height, we have decidedto introduce milling technology in the State,” Chief Engineer, PWD Roads andBridges D J S Borkar said.
“The milling processwould burden us with extra cost of Rs 50 per square meter in addition to theexisting Rs 147 per square meter while asphalting. With the introduction ofthis process the state roads, mainly the roads in city limits, would be at onelevel and not growing higher,” Borkar said.
“We have also decided that with various city roads the roadon bridges too would compulsorily be tarred with milling technology so thatextra weight is not put on the bridges which are already weak,” Borkar added. The total of cost of road building would go up by 20 percent.
