Bad and narrow roads have made life difficult to pedestriansand motorists both in villages and towns in the State.
Even as number of vehicles keeps on rising government hasfailed to maintain and improve road infrastructure.
The villages of Agonda and Khola in Canacona are facingsimilar problems for years, as roads have broken and bridges have remainednarrow.
The locals from Agonda and Khola village panchayat haveexpressed their displeasure with the government for failing to minimize thecommon man’s hardship.
Interior roads in these villages have turned into rubble andthe narrow bridge on the culvert at Dumanem on Agonda-Canacona highway is onthe verge of collapse.
“Many people have lost their lives due to the narrow bridgeat Dumanem on the Char-Rasta-Agonda road. Besides being narrow the bridge hasno railing,” said Dajula Pagi, Agonda Sarpanch.
Pagi has demanded a parallel bridge across the culvert toavoid accidents in future.
A year ago, one foreigner who was crossing the bridge fellin the rivulet and died. The pillion rider succumbed to injuries at the GoaMedical College and Hospital at Bambolim.
“In this week six persons travelling in a four wheeler wereinjured, when their vehicle went off the bridge and fell into the rivulet,”Agonda Panch Salpesh said.
A section of the road of National High Way - 17 via Agondahas become virtually a death trap and a health hazard, as vehicles find it hardto negotiate the pot-holed and tar-less road.
When contacted, Canacona PWD Assistant engineer De Souza andJunior Engineer Vernekar, informed that the road patching work at Agonda toNational High way-17 will be taken up immediately but hot-mixing work willpossibly start after month end.
