Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Questioning the logic of NH-66 road-widening on its either sides by 2 feets below the existing highway road for about 500 metres stretch between Gulem and the edge of Charas-rasta, people claims it’s PWD’s new way of putting public life in danger, by an innovative ‘Death-trap’, and a wastefull double expenditure by the double-engine Sarkar.
Its been over two months that PWD is working on Extension of NH-66 road by two-metres on either sides and have accordingly have excavated by about 5 ft deep on both sides of the excisting road for about 500 metres.
Over the period of time, by soling and other related work works, the extended road portions has been brought up to about three feets, but even after asphalting/tarring, the widened road section is still two fts below the existing Highway.
This has become dangerous for the motorists, particularly for two wheeler- riders whenevers two heavy vehicles are crossing in oppositing direction or another heaqvy vehicle is over-taking another vehicle, virtually it a death-trap. Even there is a danger of four-wheeler wheels going down the 2ft below the existing road in the event of avoiding any two on-coming vehicles driving side-by-side.
The new already asphalted road has been built about two feet deep from the main road on either –sides and the four-wheelers or other big vehicles coming from far away have no idea that the extended road is deep below the existing ground and accidentally goes 2-ft below the road. When big speeding vehicles overtake other vehicles, two-wheeler drivers have to take their two-wheeler off the road, and meets with similar fate.
Sources states incidents with some injuries have already taken at the 500 metress stretch neat Sudarshan Hotel at Gulem.
Meanwhile, central government has approved and Rs.1370 Crores have been allotted for the the construction of a four-lane road from Bendurde (Quepem) to the start of Manohar Parrikar Canacona Bypass Road (MPCBR) at Char-Rasta and from the end of MPCBR at Maxem to the States border at Polem. Interestingly, the irony is the same 500 metre rhighway stretch from the start of MPCBR towards Bendurdem is also included in the construction of the 4-lane road. People decry the road extension carried out by PWD at a 500 mtr stretch will become a wasteful expenditure once this road section will be constructed into 4-lane road.
According to sources, the road widening of this section has been sanctioned by the CPWD long back, and is being executed now inspite of knowing well that the same road is sanctioned now for 4-lane construction.
A concerned resident remarked, ‘This is purely a wastefull expenditure by the double engine sarkar, being carried out with just a couple of months left to commence for construction of 4-lane road for the best reason known to the PWD and the government’.
