The Calvaddo bypass junction on the Benaulim-Margao road, part of the grand Western bypass megaproject, is sheer purgatory for vehicular traffic. Broken roads, poor construction quality, incorrect cambers, constant digging, random road closures and diversions, extremely faulty highway engineering, almost non-existent lighting, temporary shops, and more have ensured that this area resembles a junction from hell, with road accidents being the norm.
The project has been in ‘progress’ for four years now and is yet to see completion. It seems that ‘Panaji Smart City’ has firmly taken root in Benaulim. So much of taxpayers’ money has gone into the construction, the ex-PWD minister was shunted out, and the Chief Minister has trotted out excuses and promises about the project, but we are still to see the purported benefits.
The bypass has carved up and ruined the verdant paddy fields and increased flooding during the monsoons. It is pertinent to remember that the government rejected the farmers’ and civil society’s request to build the bypass on stilts. We, the people, are constant sufferers of this harebrained endeavour. Who is to be held accountable for this?
