Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: Public Works Department Minister Digambar Kamat called for immediate measures to prevent further landslides along Harbour Road after inspecting the recent landslide site that claimed the life of a worker.
Kamat visited the affected stretch along with Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar and officials from the concerned departments to assess the stability of the hillside and review safety measures.
Addressing reporters after the inspection, Kamat said the immediate priority was to secure the site and protect commuters during the ongoing monsoon.
He noted that the road widening project had been awarded before he assumed charge as PWD Minister and clarified that the work was being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). “Our focus now is to prevent any further landslides. The hill has been cut very steeply, increasing the risk, especially during heavy rains,” he said.
Kamat said the contractor had already been directed to construct a retaining wall but acknowledged that carrying out major civil works during the monsoon could be challenging. He said a meeting would be held on Monday to discuss temporary safety measures, including installing heavy-duty protective nets to stabilise the slope until permanent works could be undertaken.
He also observed that the hillside should have been terraced instead of being cut almost vertically and stressed that safeguarding lives remained the government’s top priority.
MLA Sankalp Amonkar welcomed the minister’s visit, stating that residents and daily commuters had been worried since the fatal landslide. He said the area has soft soil and people had repeatedly expressed concerns over the hill’s stability. Amonkar added that the government was also working to improve safety on the stretch by installing streetlights and implementing other preventive measures.
