Today, we are traveling from our quiet village in south Goa to The City. And that is Panjim, the capital of Goa, a quaint Portuguese city on the river Mandovi, 70 kilometres to the north. Shops! Restaurants! Retail Therapy!
All along, we will be traveling on the “notional” highway #17, the central government’s only capital investment in Goa. This road is verily the “lifeline” of Goa. However, if a medical analogy is deemed appropriate, this ain’t no healthy lifeline. 70 km will take over 2 hours. NH #17 is a constricted and clogged artery – like Manmohan’s before surgery.
Let us begin our journey from here to Panjim at Chaudi, the only market town in south Goa. NH #17 is the “main street” of this town with the highway doubling up as an urban thoroughfare. The road-sign outside Chaudi says: “Cochin 720 kms.” For those driving to Cochin, Chaudi is a clog in the artery. As far as the people of Chaudi are concerned, their Main Street is overcrowded and unsafe. Lose-Lose for everyone.
As we take the NH #17 from Chaudi to Panjim, we first pass a 8-km-long “ghat section”: thereafter it continues to be hilly and forested for another 15-odd kilometres. Lush greenery, paddy fields, fresh air. Bliss! The road surface has recently been relaid – after bus drivers and owners blocked the highway in protest. Thanks to this protest, the drive through is most enjoyable these days – unless you get stuck behind a truck or a bus. The highway is just two-laned: one side is for those going up, the other side for those going down. And there are bends every 100 yards. You dare not overtake. So, the conclusion remains the same: the artery is clogged and constricted - like Manmohan’s before surgery.
Exactly halfway between Chaudi and Panjim, we pass through the City of Margao, Goa’s commercial capital. And you must have guessed it, the notional highway goes right through the City!
After Margao, the terrain is more or less flat till Panjim, and there are commercial developments all along the highway – like Verna, the “industrial area.” The Hyundai dealership where we get the car serviced is right on the highway. There are speed-breakers every now and then, and very heavy traffic. There is a T-junction without lights where the airport road meets the NH # 17. This portion of the drive is extremely unsafe.
So, the story remains the same: the highway is “main street.” It doubles up as an urban thoroughfare. It is clogged and constricted – like Manmohan’s before surgery.
And nothing is likely to change soon. The central planner’s over-hyped “golden quadrilateral highway project” does not pass anywhere near Goa.
As an urban thoroughfare, NH # 17 is also horribly unsafe. Newspaper reports say that one Goan is killed on this road every day, on average, usually on a 2-wheeler. Goa needs duty-free second hand car imports – 4 Wheels 4 All. Safety. But we were talking about The Road and not The Car.
Since the central planner who has bequeathed this notional highway to Goa is also the Central Teacher, let us inquire into Road Theory. What does this important Subject call a real highway?
According to Road Theory, all roads fall into three basic categories:
=> First, at the lowest level, are the Access Roads, meant for people to get in and out of their individual properties.
=> Second are Connector Roads, which also provide “access” to roadside properties, but whose major role lies as “connectors” to highways.
=> At the top are the highways – which DO NOT PROVIDE ACCESS AT ALL.
Rather, real highways are meant for Swift Transportation from one City to another City: their Only Purpose is MOVEMENT.
This means that there are No Real Highways in India.
The entire national highway system is a HOAX.
Central planning is a HOAX.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is just another ugly monopoly.
What do we do?
I dunno. I’m just the piano player, hammering away at these keys.
I also paid the “education cess” – our collective tribute to the mind of the Great Central Teacher and Planner From Most On High, Herr Doctor-Professor Chacha Manmohan S Gandhi, PhD.
The Song: Roadhouse Blues, of course!
“Save our Cities – Right Now!”
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