Flood for thought
I refer to your Edit “Margao migraine” (The Goan Everyday, February 18). The 12 km long western bypass through low-lying areas of Nuvem, Seraulim and Benaulim is quite likely to block the flow of water and cause serious floods in those villages in case of a heavy monsoon. Our engineers say a sufficient number of culverts have been incorporated in the plan. How many culverts are “sufficient” to facilitate free flow and prevent floods? The fact is the water that would otherwise flow freely will be blocked by the embankment, with “free” flow possible only at the culverts. That should be “sufficient” for the waters to rise and cause floods as is the case along Kharebandh road in Benaulim, after filling of the space between the bandh and the River Sal. Even the road in front of the District Court, much upstream, was flooded once.
To all this, have the engineers considered the additional intangible costs of damage to the ecology by razing of at least three hills standing tall, to procure 24 lakh cubic metres of earth required for the land-filling? Good planning for an ecological disaster.
Joaquim Correia Afonso, Benaulim.
Novel protests
If the authorities concerned turn a deaf ear to the needs of the locality, the best thing to do would for the general public to carry out the work by themselves. This could be a novel way of protesting. A bunch of youth from Tivim has perhaps shown the way. A group of local lads from the village pulled up resources from the locals and armed with a broom, a brush, some paint and a lot of determination, they painted a speed-breaker at Bonglo in Tivim. The speed breaker which badly needed a coat of paint, wasn’t visible during the night and was the cause for several accidents. A few day ago some youth from another village gathered some resources from the locals and put up a couple of CCTV cameras along the highway where people used to dump garbage. From the CCTV footage the culprits who were dumping the garbage were identified and made to take back the waste. This appears to be a novel way to wake up the authorities to take note of the needs of the villagers and take necessary steps. Such a move by the youth of taking remedial action can prove to be more effective than writing letters to the authorities concerned which seem to have very little affect.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Territorial issues
As if two busy railway lines on the ground and fighter jets practicing above are not enough to torment the ears and souls of ‘Cansaulikars’, the government has now introduced helicopter joy rides. The sorties that take off from a hotel in Arossim are, as of now, confined along the beach but the buzzing noise is enough to disturb the quiet of the afternoon. The government says that copter rides will increase tourist footfalls but it can well prove counterproductive as tourists lazing on the beach are disturbed.
Some days back a friend from Utorda, on his routine daily walk on the beach happened to accidently step on the para sailing equipment lying on the ground. The water Sports operators abused him with the choicest of expletives and when he protested, they threatened to break his bones. A case was registered with the Verna Police. At the police station the water sports operator had the audacity to admit the verbal abuse and justified it on the grounds that they had paid a hefty sum to get the license to operate. Does the license to operate give anyone the right to take over the beach and abuse people?
Jesuin George Fernandes, Cansaulim
