T rue test of Goemkarponn lies here, not at airports.Goemkarponn faces one of its biggest challenges as government and stakeholders go into a huddle trying to sort out the vexed Cortalim traffic diversion issue, a decision which could turn lives of thousands of people upside down.
The pressure is enormous and it is showing in the fact that decision-makers are forced back to the drawing board. Here is a tricky and delicate situation that threatens to throw even the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll calculations haywire, and the government in all measure has sensed it. The decision to divert traffic comes at a time when public sentiment is on the boil with authorities failing to mitigate existing hardships faced at the Zuari Bridge. And no government can afford to make it any worse.
However, the people have a right to know why these diversion plans were not brought to the fore when the plans of a signature Zuari bridge and flyovers were unveiled in December 2016. If we may recall, Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke of world-class amenities including tourism facilities, but there was no word on the price which Goans will have to pay in terms of hardships. It was only in December 2018 PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar used physical fitness terminology to explain that there is no gain without pain. Politicos, however, fail to fathom the pain inflicted on commuters on a day-to-day basis. They fail to understand the job risks of private sector workers who are taking the route, the tourists and locals who can’t make it to the airport for their flights, the people battling for lives in ambulances, and the list goes on. Why was there no Plan B?
On the table now are suggestions of constructing a parallel road to give breathing space to villagers who fear getting trapped in heavy traffic. With a distinct hurry on display, it is highly unlikely a service road could be in place at short notice. There is a 20-km extension on the menu. Also there is another plan of splitting highway works in shifts and diverting traffic only in late hours, a proposal which is also unlikely to find favour. Zuari Bridge forms an arterial link between North and South Goa and any plan will need a thorough study.
The very fact that a diversion plan was drawn without discussing with the people, and fields used as service roads without consulting farmers speaks volumes of high-handedness. Government will also have to explain why villagers who have lost their land for highway works are still not adequately compensated. While works are going on at breakneck speed, the process of compensation has moved at a snail’s pace. It’s a shame for those swearing by Goemkarponn.
