Panaji: A 21-year-old man, Ayush Halarnkar, from Raibandar died early Monday morning, January 1, around 3:30 AM, after his Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle hit a pothole dug for a Smart City project in Mala. The incident sparked outrage over alleged safety lapses by the Smart City authorities. Halarnkar, son of former municipal councilor Rupesh Halarnkar, was returning home when the fatal accident occurred. The absence of barricades and malfunctioning streetlights at the construction site are suspected to have obscured the pothole from view, leading to the crash.
Safety Concerns Raised:
The Smart City project has caused road excavations throughout the city for sewage pipeline installation, but adequate safety measures are reportedly lacking. Streetlights in Mala had been non-functional for ten days before the accident, with no apparent attempt at repair.
No barricades were placed surrounding the excavation site to prevent vehicular or pedestrian accidents. Notably, barricades were reportedly installed only after the fatal incident. At least eleven incidents of trucks overturning or getting stuck in Smart City-related excavations have occurred previously.One such incident caused serious injuries to a laborer.
Opposition leader Yuri Alemao expressed strong condemnation of the accident, blaming the BJP-backed 'urban-naxal' Smart City project for jeopardizing lives and demanding immediate action against those responsible.