Albert Fernandes | NT
CANACONA: The culverts and mini-bridges along National Highway-17 stretch from Goddeval, Paddi to Polem, Canacona are in need of immediate attention from the PWD, feel residents of Canacona. They said that most of the culverts and mini-bridges along the said stretch were constructed during the Portuguese era and so have ‘aged’ and could ‘give in’ resulting in mishaps.
When contacted, assistant engineer PWD Div-XIV (sub-Div-II), Margao Hiremath also agreed that many bridges and culverts are unsafe considering the load they withstand daily.
He however said that no major repairs will be done now, as the work on new alignment of the route for four-lane has already started and this stretch from Dramapur to Canacona will be taken up soon. Till then the commuters will have to bear with us (them), he added.
Hiremath also agreed that there are a few culverts/bridges along the route from Balli to Polem that were built during the Portuguese regime which are in need of immediate attention because their width is so narrow that two vehicles cannot pass easily, resulting in a blockage every time and sometimes damage to the side portion, resulting in collapse.
A senior citizen Jaywant Naik said, “Despite the Bhatpal-Ardhofond culvert being nearly washed away during the 2009 floods, and recently a loaded truck almost taking away the side portion miraculously saving itself from falling down into the Talpona river, no quick measures are initiated even though the concerned assistant engineer Laxmikant Naik from Canacona PWD informed that an estimate to repair the portion of the bridge has been sent for sanction.
A group of other residents of Ardhofond also echoed the feelings that it does not have that much of load-bearing capacity as it is more than 50 years old. However, inspection on its load-bearing capacity or its present status is learnt to be taken care by the concerned authority, Naik stated.
Vehicles carrying several thousand tonne weight move over it each day and the government should take some urgent steps and repair this and other bridges and culverts without delay, they said.
Some teachers who travel along the route on an everyday basis to different schools in Canacona and back opined that some culverts on NH-17 have no proper safety barriers on either side and several vehicles have crashed over it, causing grievous injuries to humans, damaging vehicles and spoiling the paddy and sugarcane cultivation below.
“In the past, pedestrians and even cattle have fallen off the culverts in the absence of railings or as the railing are too short,” informed Sanju Naik.
Among the many bridges/culverts, one new parallel bridge at Poinguinim is constructed and it has been thrown open for vehicular traffic recently.
However, the bridges located at Goddeval near Paddi, another about 400 metres from the Government high school at Paddi and the third at Barcem, near Karmal Ghat section, are in precarious condition, feel teachers who travel to and fro everyday.
“If any of these bridges collapse, then we will be cut off from Karnataka and other states, as there is no alternate road link to NH-17,” they strongly felt.
It may be recalled that during the last 10 years, a number of accidents have occurred at Dumanem curve and many people have died. The signboard erected by the concerned authorities need to be constantly updated with paintings, and the commuters using this route regret the delay in plans to construct a parallel bridge which now seem to have gone unheeded.
An engineer attached to the said section of Canacona PWD said that a proposal to construct a parallel bridge was forwarded to the concerned higher authorities long back and is awaiting an approval.