PONDA: As the PWD and Sewerage and Infrastructure Development Corporation keep passing the buck, many roads in Ponda have turned into death traps for motorists and pedestrians.
At Khadapabandh, the tar was washed away in the rain, endangering lives of commuters. While the corporation claims the road has to be repaired by the PWD, the department puts the onus on the corporation claiming damage to the road due to digging work undertaken to lay the sewage line and construct of manholes.
Locals said the roads could be “usable” even if just the potholes are repaired for the time being, but both departments are refusing to pay heed.
Meanwhile, residents of Ponda continue to bear the brunt, this despite earlier assurances by PWD minister Deepak Pauskar that roads would be repaired before the onset of the monsoon. Pauskar had made the statement during review meetings on two separate occasions. Till date, however, the corporation has tarred only the town’s main roads.
The PWD also claims that roads have not been handed over to it by the corporation after laying sewage lines as road crossings near manholes are still incomplete in most areas.
Suresh Naik, a resident, alleged that the government is ignoring Ponda as it is represented by Ravi Naik, a Congress MLA. “The state government is only looking after constituencies led by BJP MLAs. It seems as if the government is waiting for some fatalities to occur to repair the road,” he said.
