With monsoon round the corner, the service road along NH66 is crying for attention as part of the road which was dug up to repair a damaged water pipeline is yet to be repaired.
After repairing a damaged water pipeline, the road was filled with rubble and left untarred causing a lot of inconvenience to motorists.
It’s a key road stretch as motorists travelling from Panaji to Mapusa along the NH66 have to take the service road at Guirim to enter the Mapusa town.
During evening time, there is heavy traffic congestion on this service road as motorists are forced to slow down at the stretch on account of the uneven road.
If the stretch is not repaired, the road could soon turn into a nightmare for motorists during the monsoon.
Locals have expressed fear that if the road is not repaired and tarred before the rains then the stretch could witness accidents.
“After repairing the water pipeline they have just filled the road with mud and rubble and left it to sink on the weight of the passing vehicles. The officials concerned have no technique and are not properly equipped to conduct proper road repairs. This road stretch if not repaired before the rains will cause serious problems to motorists,” said Fondu Naik, former sarpanch of Guirim.
An official of the PWD (National Highway) informed that work on the road will be taken up in a couple of days.
He said the repair work took time as the work had to be entrusted to a private contractor after MVR Infra Pvt Ltd refused to take up repair of the road.
“Work on the road will be taken up in the next two to three days. It will definitely be repaired and tarred before the monsoon,” the official said.
Former Guirim sarpanch also said the PWD water department has not repaired the pipeline properly as water continues to flow beneath the road.
“The water department has done a half-baked job. Water continues to leak from the “repaired” pipeline. We don’t get water to drink but here water is getting wasted due to leakage and irresponsible PWD officials,” Naik said.
It may be recalled, the underground water pipeline on the Guirim-Mapusa service road ruptured for the second time and part of the road caved on May 1.
