Quepem: There are worries among Sonarbhatt people, Sirvoi and surrounding areas in the city of Quepem as the irrigation canal of Selaulim who passed through the Khushawati river along with the bridge in Sonarbhatt had begun to leak due to the movement of trucks loaded.
About 100m-length two ranges of waters-cum-footbridge that rested on the canal was built more than three decades ago after the construction of the Dam Selaulim.
The canal starts from the main gate of the Selaulim Dam and ends near the Cuncolim Police Station.
Sonarbhatt Resident Andy Fernandes said that the canal leaked into the river at least three places.
Although the bridge is only intended for canal maintenance, people from Sirvoi and other nearby areas use bridges as a route shortcut to reach the city of Quepem.
Trucks with laterite stones pass through the bridge regularly and that’s the reason the bridge becomes weak and starts leaking a few days ago, Fernandes accused.
“Because people from both sides of the river across the bridge running or with two wheels, their lives are at risk because the bridge can collapse anytime because the excessive vehicle is plying, the department concerned must act quickly and carry out the test before unwanted events occur,” said Fernandes.
WRD assistant engineer Somnath Dessai told Ti that their department had established a speed breaker with a concrete pole in both ends of the bridge to avoid the entry of four wheels, but some criminals remove the poles in the vehicle-free movement.
“We once caught a pedicab that was throwing garbage in the canal.
The driver was handed over to the Quepem police because of the necessary actions” said Dessai.
WRD officials said they were in the soft floating process to carry out grouting on the water channel to repair the leaking part, but the work would be done only after drying the entire canal in the following season.