MARGAO : Superintendent of Police (SP), South, Shekhar Prabhudesai Wednesday said that all the roads leading to the accommodation points for the BRICS dignitaries and delegates – Leela, Taj Exotica and Park Hyatt – will be closed for the general public only during the movement of the dignitaries from October 14 to October 17.
Addressing media in the presence of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Probodh Shirwaikar, Prabhudesai said, “There were rumours that all the roads will be closed during the entire time of the summit, but that is not true. Vehicular traffic will be held up only during the movement of these VVIP delegates.” He said that the people who are aware of alternative routes are free to use them when the traffic is held up during the movement of the delegates and their convoys. Prabhudesai said roads from the Dabolim airport to Cansaulim bypass, from Cansaulim bypass junction to Park Hyatt, from Cansaulim bypass junction to the old Colva circle road to Taj Exotica to Leela Beach Mobor which altogether total 42 km stretch will be used by the delegates. “There will be 11 carcades,” he said.
The SP said the flow of traffic will be normal after the movement of the delegates. “We have not asked the entrepreneurs to close down their establishments. All things will be normal,” he said. The authorities had looked into the possibility of using helicopter services for the delegates from the security point of view. However, due to landing difficulty, it was ruled out, said Prabhudesai. Appealing the public to cooperate with the police and the traffic cell personnel, he said around 6,000 police and 1,300 traffic police personnel have been put on duty. Besides, ten companies of paramilitary forces would be manning the concerned areas.
Shirwaikar said that vehicles coming from Panaji side and proceeding towards Margao should take a diversion at the Cortalim circle and proceed via the Rassaim-Loutolim route towards Margao and vice versa. Motorists from Margao have been requested to avoid using the old market circle and NH-17 road and instead use alternative roads like the Holy Spirit Gogol road, eastern bypass, Benaulim, Khareband, Seraulim-Betalbatim-Majorda road for their Margao old market to Green House journey.
Similarly, Colva-Mobor road will be closed for vehicular traffic from Green House junction to Hotel Leela road. Motorists should use alternative routes like Sernabatim, Fatrade road and Cavelossim bridge, Orlim bridge towards Chinchinim, Shirwaikar said. Similarly, there will be no movement of vehicles on the road from Old Anchor Mobor towards Hotel Leela Mobor. The public has been requested to cooperate with the traffic authorities in implementing a safe and obstruction-free passage for the BRICS delegates.
Meanwhile, purse-seine boat owners’ association member Seby Cardoz has said that the government should have taken them into confidence. “We are happy that the BRICS summit is happening in Goa. During the fisheries’ official meeting, I had requested that the boat owners who fish within five nautical miles in the sea be compensated. There is no need to stop the boats for ten days,” he said