Vikramaditya & John Wilbert
Port Blair, May 11: The Andaman Public Work Department is presently carrying out road extension work from Neil Kendra to Sitapur Road (No.3) in Shaheed Dweep.
Although the road has been extended for the convenience of public and tourists but for reasons best known to the APWD, none of the culverts in the said road has been extended before starting the road widening work.
In any kind of road widening work or road construction works the engineers first construct culverts and then lay the road surface but in Shaheed Dweep this work is being carried out in other way round.
Due to such careless work, now, one can see one of the two parapet walls of all culverts standing almost at the middle of the said road, which has now become a serious threat for the residents of Neil Island and visiting tourists, who roam around the Island in hired bikes till late night.
Some villagers told Andaman Sheekha that in the evening hours it becomes extremely difficult to detect such Parapet wall present almost at the middle of the road and this may cause a serious accident in coming days.
“Recently one youth of Shaheed Dweep died in a road accident and it is believed that he must have hit one such Parapet Wall while driving at night although this could not be proven yet. Such carelessness may prove fatal for many,” the villager added.
Another villager urged the APWD to immediately place reflective sign boards infront of all such Parapet Wall of road Culverts to warn people.
“If tomorrow a tourist hits such a parapet wall and dies, it will bring bad name for Shaheed Dweep tourism and also for Andaman and Nicobar Administration,” he added.
Meanwhile, when Andaman Sheekha daily contacted a senior officer of APWD, he said that APWD is aware of this issue.
“Already we have planned to renovate all culverts and an estimate has also been prepared. Once the estimate is approved by the Administration, immediately the work will start. Within one year the work will be completed,” said the APWD officer, who does not want his name to be quoted.
But the million dollar question which remains unanswered is that if someone dies in a road accident because of such careless work at Shaheed Dweep, who will take the responsibility of the death, the APWD, the Engineers, the contractor, the victim or the Culvert?
