Calangute: The digging of the main road at Calangute market for infrastructure works has been affecting the businesses and traffic, said locals urging the authorities to restore the road before Ganesh Chaturthi festival.The project, covering underground ducts for electricity cables along with water pipes and drains, is being carried out from Jack Sequeira Circle to the Bandodkar statue under Calangute MLA and Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) chairperson Michael Lobo. A 100m-stretch of road has currently been dug up, leaving just one lane for traffic.Locals pointed out that the old water pipeline in the area has been ruptured three times, filling the trenches with water, while illegal pipes releasing sewage into the old drains have also been exposed.“The digging for the sewage pipelines went on for over 10 years and it’s still not complete. We don’t know how long this will take. Ganesh Chaturthi is an important festival and at least during this time, the work should stop and road be repaired,” said Sudesh Mayekar, a former panchayat member.Vishwesh Kakule, who owns shops in the area, said many restaurants and other businesses in the area are paying rent in lakhs of rupees rent and are now stuck with no access for customers. “The work should be completed as fast as possible because people are suffering,” he said.
