Beware of bumpy ride! Killer Potholes Ahead...

It’s Monday already and Government has yet again failed to fill potholes on Goan roads. Just last week a 26-year old lost his life while trying to avoid a pothole at Bhoma. The heavy rains this year has left the government and the corrupt system exposed and how!

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WE ARE THE BETRAYED MASSES OF GOA

Life in Goa has never been this tough before. Over the past few years, a normal resident of the state has been feeling betrayed on multiple issues. None of the politicians who made promises have been able to keep up their own word. The unfulfilled promises indicate that we are taken for granted by those elected to power not by anyone else but us.  

The issue of potholes is stinging in Goa like never before. The public outrage is obvious and it has forced the government to wake up. But their audacity is unmatchable! The excuses given are lousy. They are the ones constantly setting the targets and then missing it too. 

 GOANS ARE DYING UNFAIR DEATH

Just some days ago, 26-year-old youth Prajyot Shet was killed in a road accident at Bhoma. The dangerous hole on that road was notified to the government via WhatsApp by local residents. But as usual, there was no action taken until a young life was snuffed out. Just a day before that tragic incident, we lost 70-year-old Louiza Periera after her vehicle came under the truck at Cortalim. Eyewitnesses say she lost balance due to the muddy road. 

When Pauskar was confronted with the issue he cited lack of availability of tar in the market as the reason for delayed road repairs. The excuses run into many- like the rains and nature is often blamed. I begin to wonder, when will the scientific approach come into the play to fix these problems? 

‘THE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT’. PERIOD.

At a debate show hosted by Goa365, one road contractor Mohandas Lolyekar ( Source: Goa365 Ranmale on Sept 18) openly spoke of commission system or ‘5% booking amount’ to get a government tender approved. He claimed road contractors often have to fill the pockets from those high and mighty till the lower ones in the queue. Fact is 50% of road mishaps occur due to road conditions. When life is put at risk- doesn’t the concerned person becomes culpable of someone’s untimely death? 

The recent report in Times of India cites the reason why potholes occur in the first place- The news report states Corrupt contractors sometimes add kerosene to the tar due to lack of monitoring by engineers, which lead to poor bonding of the tar. The same report mentions how a technically qualified person like PWD engineers are often absent at the site when new roads are being laid (Source: TOI Report on September 15) 

 OUR FATE HANGS IN BALANCE- THE BITTER TRUTH 

 The fact is, these are the same leaders who had promised us Casinos will be out of river Mandovi and since then we have only witnessed flourishing Casino business in Goa. Swallow, the bitter truth everyone. 

My worry is for how long shall we be fooled. The pothole issue is far from getting resolved. The citizens are only left with a choice to express the outrage while those in-charge are only giving us verbal promises.

When they asked us to pay road tax- we did. Then they asked us to WhatsApp pictures of the nearest potholes- we did that too.  Now what? Shall we take up the jobs to refill them to save our lives? Well, the situation in Goa has been reduced to a joke. And, science tells us it’s not because of the rains but it's due to those corrupt, callous crooks.  Another bitter truth!