Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: Margao Congress Block Convener Savio Coutinho has alleged that the ongoing Rawanfond bridge construction is showing signs of substandard work, claiming that recent pre-monsoon showers have already exposed cracks and settlement issues at the site.
Addressing the media, Coutinho said predictions made by the Margao Congress Block during its inspection visit on April 16 now appear to be coming true after “just two mild showers.”
He alleged that no proper water ramming was carried out during the mud filling process for the bridge approach embankments, due to which the concrete structures built over the filling are now showing signs of sinking and settlement.
To prove the point earlier, Coutinho said the Congress Block had challenged Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and GSIDC by offering two water tankers and bearing the cost of core drilling to test the embankment quality.
Pointing to visible cracks in RCC and PCC works at the site, Coutinho termed the construction “substandard” and questioned the sharp escalation in project cost. According to him, the bridge project was originally estimated at ₹21.30 crore in 2021, which later increased to ₹54 crore in 2022 after re-tendering, and was subsequently announced at ₹74 crore during the foundation stone ceremony.
He further alleged that despite the bridge width being reduced from six lanes to four lanes, the project cost increased by over ₹53 crore within two years.
Coutinho warned that the alleged poor-quality work could eventually push the project cost beyond ₹100 crore due to continuous maintenance and repairs arising from embankment settlement issues.
Social activist Azim Shaik also criticised GSIDC, alleging failure to monitor the quality of construction work executed by the contractor. He claimed that defects would temporarily be concealed through asphalt carpeting but would resurface later after payments are cleared.
Shaik further referred to an earlier collapse of a portion of the old bridge embankment, stating that despite traffic diversions for months, no action was taken against the contractor involved.
Coutinho warned that once monsoon intensifies and water reaches the lower levels of the filling work, the settlement and sinking may worsen, potentially causing major inconvenience to commuters after the bridge is opened to traffic.
