Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: The notorious and accident-prone Dumane culvert-bridge is once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after a lady tourist rammed her car into the structure, damaging the concrete side-protection wall.
According to sources, a foreign national driving a car collided with the retaining wall, breaking it and plunging down towards the rivulet below. Fortunately, her vehicle narrowly missed going over the bridge and falling into the stream.
The incident reportedly occurred two days ago. Eyewitnesses said the woman managed to maneuver her vehicle back onto the road and drove away, leaving the bridge vulnerable to further accidents.
The Dumane culvert-bridge has a notorious history of accidents, with several vehicles in the past skidding off the narrow structure into the rivulet, leading to fatalities and serious injuries, especially among two-wheeler riders.
The bridge’s precarious location makes it especially dangerous. Motorists heading from Canacona towards Agonda must negotiate a sharp turn just before the culvert, while those approaching from the Agonda side risk veering off on its eastern edge if not careful.
Earlier, rusted iron railings were replaced by the PWD with concrete side walls, along with speed humps on either side to slow down approaching vehicles.
Former Agonda sarpanch and social worker Pramod Faldessai has urged the government to take immediate corrective measures. “PWD should immediately rebuild the destroyed side-protection wall, or at least install a temporary bamboo barricade to alert motorists to the danger. If ignored, the spot could easily claim more lives,” Faldessai warned.
