Goa’s roads are falling apart with the monsoon rains because substandard materials are used in construction. Work is often given to handpicked contractors without proper procedures, and roads start washing away with the first rains. The public says tenders have loopholes, so funds are not fully used, leading to poor quality.
The word ‘pothole’ is too small for these large craters, which look like countries on a world map. When filled with rainwater, the few clear patches of road look like islands. In some areas, roads now look like the unmetalled roads seen in Malgudi Days.
It has become a habit for the PWD to handpick contractors for every job, with no checks on quality. Every project is filled with corruption. Engineers and contractors should be penalised for poor roads and made to relearn the basics of road construction. The government must employ qualified experts and planners who know design standards. Without this, how can we expect good roads under their supervision?
