Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: More and more accidents daily on Margao-Cananona NH66 are leaving the commuters over this road sick and tired of complaining as this 50 km stretch is getting a dubious identity as the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of Goa.
Such is the frequency and how accidents are happening on this road. The drivers who otherwise have decades of experience driving vehicles don’t know how and what caused the accident.
This week saw a multi-axle truck carrying iron ore from Hospet in Karnataka to an iron ore processing plant in Amone in North Goa suddenly veering off the road; the truck lay dangerously tilted on one side for two days till the driver arranged earthmoving machinery to pull it on the road back.
The driver of the ill-fated truck who identified himself as Viresh from Belgaum informed this correspondent that he was carrying iron ore from Hospet and was proceeding towards Amone in North Goa and suddenly lost control when he reached a narrow culvert at Barcem.
There is a speed breaker meant to control the speed of the vehicles just metres behind where the truck met with an accident; locals who were present at the accident spot informed that it might be the speed breaker itself that might have caused the driver to lose control over his vehicle.
“The NH66 road from Polem to Margao has been notorious for causing frequent accidents amongst other things the speed breakers and the stretches devoid of shoulders are some of the leading causes of accidents on this road” informed a bystander.
“The innocent owner of these ill-fated vehicles are the ultimate sufferers while the PWD Highway officials continue to draw salaries uninterrupted even after failing to provide a basic road to the commuters” he added.
On Thursday, another truck carrying commercial goods toppled at Gulem; the road itself is straight where the mishap took place; on close inspection, there is absolutely no shoulder. The vehicle fell on its side.
With the road witnessing so many accidents regularly, some locals feel that there may be something wrong and maybe some unexplained forces are the cause of these accidents.
But if one looks with logic every accident happens due to a reason, while the driver’s errors while driving cannot be ruled out, the poor state of the road itself is the leading cause for accidents to happen on this stretch many informed.
On Thursday night, another multi-axle truck carrying bauxite from Vasco to Belgaum fell in the paddy fields causing damage to the vehicle. The driver and the cleaner, however escaped with minor injuries.
The PWD Highway officials, in spite of locals complaining, are failing to act and have left the road from Balli to Canacona in a pathetic condition, say locals.
“Look at the road from Balli to Gulem, you don’t have to be an engineer to know that the road is in the worst condition, narrow road, unwanted out of size speed breakers and non-existent shoulders are adding to the misery of motorists”, informed Satish Paiginkar a former deputy sarpanch of Poiguinim panchayat.
The local PWD Highway officials must pull up their socks and act fast so that innocent commuters who pay thousands as road tax get good road to say the least added Paiginkar.
“An Indian film named “The Good Road” released in the year 2013 was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars, but “The Bad Road” based on the Margao-Cancona NH66, if made will surely bag Oscar award, this stretch has everything on offer, tragedy, comedy, officials lethargy and everything required for a commercial cinema” added Anil Bhagat a local senior citizen.
Add A Comment