Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Citizens for Democracy Goa has urged the Government of Goa, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to immediately commission an independent engineering and road-safety audit of the NH-66 drainage and elevated footpath works at Cuncolim.
Addressing the media, Elvis Gomes, representing Citizens for Democracy Goa, said the organisation had repeatedly raised safety concerns with the Chief Minister, PWD Minister, MoRTH and NHAI but had not received even an acknowledgement.
According to the organisation, concerns at the Cuncolim stretch include the narrow paved surface, inadequate or absent protective barriers, the proximity of the drainage structure to the carriageway, visibility issues and the overall configuration of the roadside infrastructure.
Gomes said an accident involving a car and a motorcycle at Cuncolim on September 20, 2026, had once again highlighted concerns over the safety of the stretch. He also referred to the recent fatal crash at the Porvorim elevated corridor, following which the government sought expert advice from IIM Nagpur.
“We have been asking for an independent engineering audit of the Cuncolim works by NIT Goa, since its campus itself is located along the NH-66 corridor. Our requests have not even received an acknowledgement,” Gomes said.
He questioned whether authorities should wait for a fatal accident before conducting an independent assessment of the works at Cuncolim.
The organisation also cited the fatal Bambolim accident in November 2025, in which Yogender Singh Dahiya, President of the Sepak Takraw Federation of India, and international referee Ankit Baliyan were killed after a tanker crossed the divider and hit their vehicle.
Following the Bambolim tragedy, measures including stronger barriers, speed cameras and additional signage were reportedly recommended after the Chief Minister visited the site.
Gomes said the Bambolim incident underlined the need for road-safety assessments to be preventive rather than reactive, particularly at locations where changes or deviations from approved or original designs may create additional risks.
“Safety cannot become a post-mortem exercise. Why does safety become a priority only after innocent lives are lost?” Gomes asked.
Citizens for Democracy Goa has called for an independent technical assessment of the concerned NH-66 works and for appropriate safety measures to be implemented based on the findings.
