The authorities must ensure that the assurance to repair roads is heeded to
All the seriousness behind the tragedy of Goan roads has now turned into absurdity. The state of roads in Goa has been pathetic over past many, many years, and the inability of the government to resolve the issue in toto, has forced the people to find humour in the grave matter. It is amusing to see how potholes have become an integral part of most of the roads here. Some have compared the Goan roads with lunar surface, while others have planted saplings in these potholes. On a more serious note, pedestrians as well as vehicle riders have sustained injuries due to them. It has become a nightmare to travel on Goan roads. Especially for over a decade, the situation has gone worse. In many constituencies, no efforts are made even to fill potholes with rubble.
When Digambar Kamat was facilitated entry into the state cabinet and allocated the Public Works portfolio, in August this year, he ordered a statewide survey of road conditions, a move he said forming the basis of a systematic repair plan. On his instructions, the pothole repairing machine has done the job in many constituencies including Porvorim. He has assured hot-mixing of roads after the withdrawal of monsoon.
If there was any doubt about the ability of the public works department, then it was put to rest by the department officials themselves by achieving visible road improvement ahead of the recent Goa visit of the Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah. The contractors received emergency work orders for stretches along these routes. A number of roads in South Goa were temporarily repaired with patchwork before the motorcade of Shah passed along them. However, beyond these limits, the condition of roads was dreadful. The authorities have been speaking up about taking ‘concrete’ steps for road repairs. However, more than an assurance, it appears to be a pun on the word concrete.
The recent promise by the Chief Minister to fill up the potholes on various roads before Diwali, primarily came after a delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) met him and submitted over 1 lakh signed petitions collected under its ‘BJP-che Burak’ campaign, which demanded safer roads. Members of the delegation stated that they conveyed the concerns of one lakh families to the Chief Minister about their problems due to the battered roads across the state. They conducted the campaign across the state highlighting the poor condition of roads and hit out at the government for not being sensitive to the grievances of road users in the state.
It is often observed that the number of pothole-related accidents continues to rise in Goa after the monsoon season, as the torrential rains damage the roads. Goa being a tourism state compounds this issue. The quality of the material used to construct these roads is often compromised. The ruling politicians blame the “unprecedented rains” for the potholes. There must be a proper audit and those responsible for the bad state of roads should be made accountable. Now the authorities should at least ensure that their assurance about the road repairs is not disregarded. Hopefully, the PWD will respect the sentiments of the citizens. When they lay a new carpet, the authorities must ensure that the quality is maintained. If the quality is poor then the travails of the road users will never end. The road users deserve a better treatment.