Motorists upset with poor state of Goa-Belagavi highway at Chorla

The potholed condition of the Goa-Belagavi highway at Chorla, Sural and other places.

Photo Credits: Uday Sawant

VALPOI

The condition of the road in the Karnataka area of the  Goa-Belagavi highway has completely deteriorated. There are potholes on the road at the Karnataka border. Vehicle drivers and passengers have to face problems such as vehicles breaking down in these potholes and tyres bursting. In many places the road appears to have disappeared due to potholes. If this road is not repaired before Ganesh Chaturthi motorists fear complete closure of road for traffic.

Due to the relatively good condition of this road, a large number of Goans go to Belgaum for shopping. At the beginning of the rainy season, the government had undertaken some repairs. But for the last three months, there are big potholes on the road. At present, due to water filling in these potholes, the potholes have widened. Due to this, the vehicle drivers have started getting hit in a big way. This road is good within the Goa border area. But the road within the Karnataka border is in a terrible state till Piranwadi.

It is very important to repair this road before Ganesh Chaturthi. This situation has arisen on the stretch which is about 50 km from Goa border to Piranwadi.  Meanwhile, Gopal Gawde, who regularly transports vegetables through this area, said that the condition of this road has become bad in the last three months. Many times local Sarpanch and MLAs have tried to sound out the government regarding the condition of the road. Vehicles are frequently breaking down. Many times mechanics have to be brought from Belgaum to repair the vehicles. 

Ramnath Gargatti, a transporter of gravel expressed his intense frustration at the state of the highway. Similarly, he expressed the fear of large-scale manipulation of Ganesha devotees. Santosh Gawkar, a farmer who regularly goes to the market in Belgaum by road said that the road has completely deteriorated. There are big potholes on the road. Due to this, Gawkar has demanded that the government mus pay attention  to this stretch of the highway.