Panaji: With constant complaints from the public and criticism by the Opposition about the potholes on roads, the Goa government has decided to launch an app to identify them, and repair the roads.
The Goa cabinet on Thursday approved two agencies having ‘jetpatcher’ machines to mend the potholes, PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral said.
The Congress in the state had launched ‘Spot the Potholes’ campaign before the assembly election and had targeted the BJP government for failing to repair potholes.
Cabral recently announced plans to make roads of the state free of potholes within the next one year.
“Today, the cabinet approved the proposal of appointing two agencies, who are giving guarantee of 18 months of repaired roads,” Cabral told reporters here.
He said that these machines will work for North and South Goa. “We want to put in a mechanism, there will be an app in such a way that people will post the photos of potholes, it will reach the contractor and within 98 hours, he will start working on it. It is a little complicated, but I am trying to do it. If it fails, then I will fail,” Cabral said.
He said that the government will not buy the machines but the contractor will take care of the financial part.
Cabral said that there are many difficulties to achieve the goal of 100 per cent pothole-free state, but he is trying for that.
“This jetpatcher machine can suck the water from potholes and repair the potholes. But it is not possible if there is heavy rain. We are starting this (technology) on a trial basis,” he said, adding that he is of the opinion that roads should be pothole-free.
Cabral also mentioned that many years ago, the Goa government had brought such machines, which did not come to use.