Team Herald
PANJIM: While the government boasts of developing Panjim as a Smart City, a stretch of road at Caranzalem, which is part of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), is in a very poor state and crying out for attention—not just for a year, but for more than a decade.
The stretch from Fern Kadamba Residency to Mitra Bazaar Garden, which is less than half a kilometre in length, is full of potholes and stones, making life difficult for those using the road, whether they are pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists.
According to locals, the road becomes almost inaccessible during the monsoon season and is very risky for motorists, as they cannot gauge the depth of the potholes. Even now, when the rain has subsided, there is waterlogging on the road, creating an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Priti Olvera, a local resident, said, “We are suffering a lot. Accidents are taking place. There have been many complaints, but there has not been any response to them. Even one engineer had an accident. We have complained to the local councillor, but he has also not done anything.”
S. Fernandes, another local resident, said, “Earlier, the road was repaired with pavers, but they got damaged after a few months. We have approached local elected representatives but are still waiting for the day when the road will be repaired.”
Joao Piedade Fernandes, a resident informed that there is no coordination among the government departments. The road, he said, is dug by one agency or another, and after digging, they leave the road as it is.
He further said, “Four years ago, the road was dug four metres deep for the laying of a sewage pipeline. We fear for our houses and compound walls; they may collapse. The condition is so bad that I have developed pain in my back. Now it appears that the road will be repaired only after our deaths. I am hearing that the road is to be concretised, but I will not allow it to happen. I will file an SLP if the road is concretised.”
However, local Councillor Nelson Francisco Cabral said, “We have repaired the road twice. Now the government has proposed to make it a concrete road. The stretch is only 100 metres long. The file has gone for approval. Once approved, it will be tendered. The road stretch has been repaired several times, but the work was substandard. Whenever I put up a proposal, it was accepted, and the road was repaired by the Public Works Department (PWD).”
He mentioned that he had written to local MLA Jennifer Monserrate regarding the issue, but there was no response.
Meanwhile, according to CCP sources, the Corporation proposed to construct a concrete road from Mitra Bazaar Garden to Fern Residency in July this year, and technical sanction has been approved. “Now it has been sent to the government for approval,” the source informed.