PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on Monday directed the PWD officials to examine and eliminate waterlogging on NH66 within seven days and ensure water supply in Assagao while hosting the first ‘Janata Darbar’ in Mapusa.
Cabral also asked the officials to shift the water pipeline passing through the Guirim service road on priority.
“The waterlogging issue on the highway has come to my notice. Conduct an inspection of the entire NH66 and ask the contractors to take necessary steps to eliminate the waterlogging problem on the stretch. The work has to be completed within seven days,” Cabral told the PWD Superintendent Engineer (NH) Atmaram Gawde.
The PWD Minister listened to the grievances of the public and tried to resolve them with the help of the officials who were present at the ‘Janata Darbar’ meet.
MLAs from Bardez – Joshua D’Souza (Mapusa), Michael Lobo (Calangute), Delilah Lobo (Siolim), Carlos Ferreira (Aldona) and Kedar Naik (Saligao) – North Goa Collector Mamu Hage (IAS), Environment Secretary, Seema Geete (IAS), SP North Nidhin Valsan (IPS) officials from several government departments were present for the meeting.
Raising the issue of bad workmanship on the national highway, activist Xencor Polgi informed that waterlogging was taking place at several spots along the NH66 from Cortalim to Patradevi.
He also highlighted the bad condition of service roads and the accident-prone junction at Peddem, Mapusa.
Without mincing words, Cabral instructed the PWD engineers to immediately shift the 1000 mm water pipeline which has ruptured twice and is still unstable along the Guirim service road.
“What problems are you facing to shift the pipeline? If you cannot do it tell me, I will get it organised. Crucial public works cannot be delayed,” he told the PWD AE of the area.
He also directed the officials to temporarily treat the service roads at Bastora and Malpem in Pernem and get them properly repaired after the monsoon.
The PWD Minister asked the police to provide him a report of the number of accidents that were reported along the crucial Peddem junction.
“When we inspected the junction around three months back, I had suggested closing of the junction because of the chaos taking place there,” he reminded.
Assagao Sarpanch, Hanumant Naik said that five wards in the village were not getting proper supply of drinking water and the engineers concerned were unable to resolve the problem for years now.
The minister directed the officials to immediately take proactive action to ensure that the villagers got at least four hours water supply.
“You will go to one of the house owners in the area and record a video showing water running through the pipeline and report to me by tomorrow,” he told the engineer concerned of the area.
Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira disclosed how the engineers failed to repair roads from Ronil Hotel to Baga beach which were dug up to lay the sewerage line.
He also informed how the electricity department had laid underground cabling at Boa Viagem area in Calangute but the PWD road department failed to repair the dug up road.
The minister pulled up the officials concerned for their lethargy and directed them to repair the roads at the earliest.
