MARGAO Agitated Navelim villagers on Wednesday has served an eight-day ultimatum to the PWD, National Highway to restore the defunct traffic signals at the accident-prone Belem traffic junction, failing which they have threatened to dismantle the signals.
They have also told the PWD, NH to install a board at the Belem traffic junction, with a signal that the western bypass connected to the junction has not been opened for traffic and traffic on the NH should proceed on the existing road to Navelim.
Locals carry out inspection of the junction
Local residents led by George Barretto, Savio Coutinho, Pratima Coutinho and others including activist Dominic Noronha assembled at the Belem traffic junction on Wednesday morning along with Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuemkar for an inspection of the junction by the PWD and the traffic police.
During the inspection, the villagers pointed out to the PWD, NH engineer that a couple of fatal accidents have taken place at the junction till date, besides scores of other accidents leaving riders with injuries.
They demanded to know from the officials how come the traffic signals have not been functioning at the junction since the last two months. When the PWD official replied saying that miscreants have lifted away the inverter and the battery of the traffic signals, the villagers questioned why the equipment were not secured properly at the site.
They also sought to know why it has taken two long months for the PWD to restore the traffic signals, since their absence have aggravated the traffic snarls at the spot. The Navelim MLA told the media that since the PWD have promised to restore the traffic signals within six days, the villagers have decided to wait for the officials to honour their promise.
George Barretto, however, warned that the people will not given any further time if the traffic signals are not restored within eight days, threatening that the villagers will uproot the signals.
Spate of accidents on Belem junction
“So many accidents, including a couple of fatal accidents have taken place at the Belem junction. Still, the traffic signals have not been repaired and restored. If miscreants have lifted away the inverter and the battery, the PWD should take steps to secure the equipment”, George asserted.
Pratima Coutinho lamented that the authorities seemed not concerned that the Belem traffic junction has become an accident prone zone as evident by the long delay in repairing and restoring the traffic signals.
