Team Goemkarponn
SADA: A labourer lost his life while two others sustained injuries after a landslide struck an ongoing retaining wall construction site along the Harbour road at Sada on Monday afternoon, triggering sharp reactions from political leaders and authorities over the handling of the project.
South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus, South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes and Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar visited the site soon after the incident, where rescue operations were carried out by fire personnel and police.
Collector Egna Cleetus said the retaining wall work had been taken up by the NH PWD along a nearly 2-km stretch identified as vulnerable to landslides. She said excavation work had been completed around eight days ago, but further steel and railing works were delayed due to rainfall.
“Today when the labourers entered the site to carry out steel and railing work, the soil gave way due to yesterday’s rain and they got trapped in the debris. One worker unfortunately lost his life while the others sustained minor injuries,” said Cleetus.
She added that instructions had been issued to the PWD to complete the remaining work in a time-bound manner before the monsoon intensifies. “We have also directed the department to immediately install steel railings and take preventive measures along the entire stretch within the next day or two to avoid further casualties,” she said.
South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes demanded a detailed investigation into the incident, alleging that the excavation had been carried out in an “unscientific manner”.
“If we study the nature of the soil, it appears extremely porous and requires strict precautions during excavation. The hill cutting should have been carried out in steps, but instead it was cut directly to save time and money. That is the major reason for the landslide,” Fernandes said.
He further claimed that large-scale tree cutting in the area may have weakened the hill slope. “The roots of trees hold the soil together. We can see uprooted trees around the site, which indicates the hill has already become unstable. There should be a proper investigation into whether permissions were granted and whether all safety norms were followed,” he added.
Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar stated that he had repeatedly warned the contractor and PWD officials about the possibility of a landslide before the onset of monsoon.
“I had been following up this work continuously for the last six months and even held meetings with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and PWD Minister Digambar Kamat. During a joint inspection on May 6, I had clearly warned officials and the contractor that a landslide was certain once the rains began,” Amonkar said.
Amonkar said he had conducted at least five inspections of the vulnerable stretch along with PWD officials and the contractor, and had even brought Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to the site when authorities had initially proposed cutting nearly 500 trees for the project. “After discussions, permission was given to cut only around 35 trees. During the joint inspection held on May 6, I had clearly warned the contractor and officials that a landslide was certain once the rains began, but they assured us that the retaining wall and protective works would be completed before the monsoon. Unfortunately, the very first heavy rain has now claimed a human life,” Amonkar said.
He squarely blamed the contractor for negligence and delay in execution of the work. “The contractor was hardly present on site and the work moved at a snail’s pace for nearly a year. Even after repeated inspections and warnings, the excavation was carried out recklessly. If corrective measures are not taken immediately, there is a serious threat of further landslides during the monsoon,” he said.
Amonkar added that the road project was being developed to improve connectivity to the new cruise terminal and stressed the need for urgent safety measures to protect commuters and nearby residents.
