Goa: Paroda bridge goes under as Kushavati swells

QUEPEM: “Padd’dde buddlem”, a common refrain among people in this region was heard on late Sunday evening, as Kushavati river breached its banks at the usual spot for the first time this monsoon.
Due to the heavy rainfall, the water level in the Kushawati river started swelling on Friday, but late Sunday evening around 8.30pm, the Paroda bridge that links villages of Avedem-Cotombi to Margao-Quepem road was submerged.
An area of Paroda from the bridge to the Parvat road junction, about one km to the west, was also flooded.
The Paroda bridge was built post liberation during Bandodkar’s first ministry. Its height was very low, barely a few metres from the water level. Some villgers even risked their lies retrieving coconuts flowing over the bridge. All light vehicles plying from Margao to Quepem, Curchorem and Sanguem were diverted through Chandor late night.
Avedem local Joe Fernandes told TOI that the bridge needs to be validated through qualified engineers. “It has not been checked at all, we have school children and people walking on it, including movement of heavy loaded vehicles,” he said.
Former chief minister Manohar Parrikar inspected the bridge in 2012 and promised the locals that a new bridge will be constructed within si xmonths at the different location across the Kushavati around 100m from the existing bridge, but he failed to fulfill his promise,” said Fernandes.
The Avedem panchayat had taken the resolution under disaster management to construct the new bridge.