Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Sep 16: Weeks after PWD Minister Digambar Kamat ordered swift repairs of Goa’s crumbling roads, motorists and pedestrians continue to battle dangerous potholes, shoddy patchwork and poorly planned flyovers.

In Calangute’s Gaura Waddo, a gaping pothole opposite the DIY store has become a “death trap,” residents say. “At night it’s almost invisible, and two-wheeler riders are the worst hit. Vehicles dodging it come dangerously close to oncoming traffic,” said T Fernandes of Candolim, adding that repeated patch-ups have only worsened the hazard. The stretch leads to the popular Holiday Street, a tourist hotspot.

Locals blame the government’s “seasonal” fixes—temporary repairs before the monsoons—for the recurring problem. “How can a safe driver navigate roads designed to fail? Citizens should start filing complaints against PWD engineers in consumer courts,” said Gregory D’Souza of Siolim, citing faulty drainage, collapsing footpaths and unsafe bridges that create a “recipe for disaster” during rains.

Commuters also criticised the PWD’s much-hyped jet patcher technology as a “money-guzzling gimmick.” “The patches vanish with the first rainfall. Public funds are wasted while contractors walk away unscathed,” one commuter said, demanding blacklisting and heavy fines for failed contractors.

Residents argue that without accountability for PWD officials, engineers and contractors, Goa’s roads will remain a symbol of negligence—threatening locals and tourists alike and tarnishing the state’s reputation as a world-class destination.