Elvis Gomes Seeks NIT Goa Audit Over “Flawed” NH66 Drainage Work

Elvis Gomes Seeks NIT Goa Audit Over “Flawed” NH66 Drainage Work

### Former Bureaucrat Raises Alarm Over Public Safety, Waterlogging and Alleged Waste of Taxpayer Funds #CUNCOLIM NEWS

**By Staff Reporter** **CUNCOLIM, GOA:** Former bureaucrat and political leader **Elvis Gomes** has formally raised serious concerns regarding the ongoing Public Works Department (PWD) drainage and pavement construction work along National Highway 66 (NH66), particularly on the stretch between the Cuncolim bus stand and Demani.

Calling the ongoing project “highly flawed,” unscientific, and dangerous to public safety, Gomes, accompanied by Cuncolim Municipal Council (CMC) Councillor **Uddesh Dessai**, has demanded an independent technical audit of the works by the Civil Engineering Department of the **National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa**, located in Cuncolim.

The delegation recently met officials and faculty members at NIT Goa seeking a third-party engineering assessment of the controversial highway infrastructure project. ## Concerns Over Drainage Design According to Gomes, the present drainage construction fails to follow standard civil engineering norms and does not conform to Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines.

Instead of solving flooding and drainage problems along the busy highway corridor, the current design is expected to worsen the situation by creating severe waterlogging during the monsoon season. Residents and commuters have already expressed fears that inadequate water flow planning and improper pavement execution could lead to recurring flooding, traffic congestion, and rapid deterioration of the road infrastructure.

## Safety Risks Highlighted Gomes also warned that the design and execution of the pavement works have created dangerous bottlenecks along the already busy NH66 stretch. He stated that the narrowing of road space, combined with poor drainage alignment and uneven construction patterns, could turn the highway into an accident-prone zone for motorists, pedestrians, and local businesses operating nearby.

Locals claim the ongoing work has increased confusion for drivers and reduced pedestrian safety in several sections between Cuncolim bus stand and Demani.

## Demand for Accountability In strong remarks against the handling of the project, critics alleged that crores of taxpayers’ money are being wasted due to poor planning and oversight. The delegation has reportedly called for:

* A full technical audit of the NH66 drainage project. * Independent verification of engineering standards. * A vigilance inquiry into the role of PWD officials, consultants, and contractors.

* Immediate corrective measures if flaws are confirmed. Observers argue that independent scrutiny is necessary to ensure transparency, accountability, and public safety in large-scale infrastructure projects.

## Why NIT Goa Was Approached Gomes emphasized that NIT Goa, as a premier engineering and technology institution situated in Cuncolim, has both the expertise and social responsibility to intervene in matters affecting public infrastructure and local welfare.

He also pointed out that the land on which the NIT Goa campus stands was historically contributed by the people of Cuncolim, further strengthening the institution’s moral obligation toward the community. The delegation has urged NIT experts to carry out a scientific and unbiased engineering evaluation of the drainage system and pavement works.

## Call for Statewide Reform Beyond the NH66 project, Gomes has also appealed to Goa’s PWD Minister **Digambar Kamat** to institutionalize mandatory third-party technical audits by reputed institutions such as NIT Goa for all major civil engineering projects across the state.

According to Gomes, such independent oversight mechanisms would help eliminate corruption, improve engineering standards, and ensure long-term durability of public infrastructure works. The issue has now sparked wider public debate, with many residents demanding greater transparency and accountability in government-funded infrastructure projects across Goa. —