Madel-Fatorda road caves in, disrupts traffic

Colva: A significant portion of the busy Madel-Fatorda road caved in early Thursday, severely disrupting traffic and pedestrian movement. This incident occurred on a stretch linking the main Margao-Colva route at one end and the KTC bus stand at the other, through densely populated residential and commercial zones.The road collapse raised concern among commuters. Authorities quickly cordoned off the area for safety, inspection, and urgent repairs.“Multiple pipelines are running beneath the road for water, sewage, and gas. We are currently trying to determine whether any leakage or structural failure caused the collapse,” said Dattaraj Pai, a sewerage department official.The affected stretch has been barricaded and traffic is being diverted to alternate routes, causing major delays and confusion for commuters during the busy morning hours.Workers from the sewerage department and PWD were seen pumping out rainwater from the crater area, as intermittent showers had complicated inspection and repair efforts.Locals have raised safety concerns about the remaining stretch of road, which was excavated for the installation of chambers. They also pointed out that past complaints about its poor condition were ignored. Authorities have assured that priority emergency repairs will be made to restore it.