Beam fall in Calvim river fuels speculation of bridge damage...August 3, 2013 Aldona MLA?dismisses claim as rumours; resident says this is third mishap TEAM HERALD bureau@herald-goa PORVORIM: Residents of Calvim-Aldona were in a state of panic following reports that a portion of the Calvim-Carona bridge under construction had sustained some structural damage on Thursday evening. Admitting that a metal beam had fallen into the river during construction work, Aldona legislator Glenn Ticlo has, however, dismissed the claim of structural damage as “rumours” which have been spread by a group of locals in order to cause confusion in the area. Speaking to Herald, Melwyn Fernandes of Calvim said some locals had heard a loud sound near the bridge, which is being built at a cost of Rs 54.75 crore. “Some people at the Calvim ferry wharf noticed a metal beam falling into the river at about 4.30 pm on Thursday. When the incident took place, some workers escaped from the construction site and work on the bridge came to a halt. The locals claimed that the bridge had sustained some structural damage and that a gap had been created between two spans of the bridge,” said Fernandes. “Late at night, workers returned to the site and erected additional support, while work to repair the damaged portion continued till Friday afternoon. However, a representative of the contractor claims no such incident had taken place and that there was no damage to the bridge. A ferry crew member, however, confirmed that the bridge had shaken with the damage and that the metal beam had fallen into the river,” he added. Fernandes alleged that the government is attempting to complete the bridge in haste, after missing three deadlines. “First, the deadline to complete the bridge was May 30 and then, it was extended to June 30 and later to July 30. Now, the latest deadline is August 15 and the government is pressurising the workers to complete the bridge before this deadline. Incidents like the one on Thursday are bound to happen as a result of hasty and shoddy work,” he said. Fernandes stated that this was the third mishap on the bridge, ever since work began to link Aldona with Calvim following the tragic bus tragedy that claimed six lives on February 18, 2012. “One person had died while dismantling the tower on the bridge, while another worker was seriously injured when he fell off the bridge. The government should stop giving deadlines and should instead ensure that the bridge is strong and safe for the public,” insisted Fernandes. When contacted, Ticlo explained that a crane was lifting a metal beam when the beam fell into the river. “Unnecessary hue and cry was created by a group of locals thereby creating confusion. There was no damage to the bridge,” said Ticlo. “I had visited the place and spoke to the engineers at the site. Nothing serious has happened and the work continues as usual. Some people have unnecessary created rumours that the bridge suffered big damage to cause panic among locals,” the MLA added. Supervisors at the site told reporters that it was not uncommon for metal beams to fall into the river during construction work. “There is nothing to worry about it and work on the bridge is nearing completion. This incident will not delay the completion of the project,” a supervisor told the reporters.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 00:30:56 +0000
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