Calangute’s ongoing underground utility corridor and drainage works have fallen behind schedule as the Diwali tourist rush brings heavier traffic, exposed construction hazards and disruption to businesses along the main road leading to the beach.
The work, being carried out through the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), covers underground electrical and internet cable ducting, water pipelines and drainage infrastructure along the main thoroughfare from the village panchayat towards Calangute beach. Tourism stakeholders and residents have urged GSIDC to accelerate execution, saying the project is not yet halfway complete despite an earlier assurance that it would be finished by November.
GSIDC chairperson Michael Lobo had said in September that the work would be completed before the peak tourist season, which begins around Diwali. The latest report from the Calangute market area indicates that the deadline has not been met, while the area is already experiencing a significant increase in tourist movement.
Residents have raised concerns over an open ditch, exposed iron rods and the absence of adequate safety measures around the work site. Nitin Raikar, a local resident, said one person had died and others had fallen into the ditch. He also said shop owners faced risks while receiving supplies and that businesses were suffering losses because of the disruption. The account was made in the context of the ongoing construction and was not accompanied in the report by a separate official statement on the incidents.
Traffic police said the project was complicating movement through the busy tourist area. Calangute traffic police inspector Brandon D’Souza said officers were personally managing traffic because of the large tourist rush. He said mud had accumulated on the road, half the carriageway was barricaded and machinery remained at the site.
The construction is taking place on a route serving residents, commercial establishments, suppliers, commuters and visitors travelling towards Calangute beach. The combination of road restrictions, construction equipment and increased seasonal traffic has made traffic management a daily operational issue for the local police. Businesses in the market area have also reported difficulties linked to access and deliveries.
MLA Michael Lobo reviewed the project on Wednesday, including the progress of the electrical and internet cable ducting, water pipelines and drainage infrastructure. He said the review focused on the pace of execution, quality of work and timely completion. Lobo did not provide a specific revised completion date, but said he would continue monitoring the work and that efforts were being made to complete it at the earliest with minimum inconvenience to residents, businesses and commuters.
The project’s immediate challenge is therefore not only completing underground infrastructure but also maintaining safe access through one of Goa’s busiest tourism areas while construction continues. The authorities have not announced a new completion deadline in the reported statements. Further progress will depend on GSIDC’s execution pace and the traffic and safety measures maintained around the remaining work.
