MARGAO, Jan. 27 -- Team Herald

Anger and frustration boiled over at Primeirovaddo, Velsao on Monday evening as residents took direct action against railway construction work that has left them landlocked in their own homes. Local villagers successfully halted a grader that was levelling mud dumps, bringing the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited's (RVNL) work to a standstill in a desperate bid to protect their access rights.

The concern was once the road is levelled, their access would be permanently blocked, besides other potential concerns with the height of the track being much higher than their compound walls and related water drainage problems in the monsoon period.

Highlighting the mounting crisis facing the community, local resident Sandra...