New culvert at Gaunswaddo, Mapusa to be completed by mid-June

Mapusa: The completion of construction work for a new culvert by removing the pipe bridge on Tar River at Gaunswaddo is likely to get delayed and completed by mid-June. The culvert bridge was supposed to be completed by May 31 however due to COVID and the cyclone work on the culvert was affected.

Currently the work of construction of a culvert bridge is underway at Gaunswaddo by the PWD highway section. The total length of the bridge is 57 meters and width is 17.5 metres including service roads which will also help in easing traffic congestion at Bastora junction.

When Mapusa MLA Joshua De Souza was asked about the status of the culvert, he said, “I have been following up on the culvert bridge as the deadline for completion of work was May 31”.

“I feel that the work will take the first 10- 15 days of June as in today’s situation the work was affected due to the cyclone. The work was expected to be completed by May 31” said the Mapusa MLA.

The removal of the pipe bridge from Mapusa river was one of the long pending demands by local residents who have been complaining of stagnation of water. The pipe bridge on both sides ie towards Bastora and Gaunswaddo on the Tar River was constructed over four decades ago by laying big pipes one top of another as a result over the period of time silt has accumulated in the pipes. Due to blockage the under water level and the flow of the river was affected resulting in stagnation of water. As a result over the years local residents were demanding to desilt the river and to remove the pipe bridge and to construct a culvert bridge as Ganesh idols are immersed during the Ganesh festival.

Accordingly Mapusa Municipality approached the Captain of Ports on various occasions to take up desilting of the river bed however the CoP raised concern over accessibility to the river as to bring in their dredging machinery due to which desilting was not possible and removal of the pipe bridge was the only solution.

Mapusa MLA Joshua De Souza took up the matter with the PWD highway section and the work of construction of a new culvert began in September 2020 wherein the work of removal of the pipe bridge was completed.

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