Central expert's solutions remain on paper as Khareband-Benaulim area still lacks a comprehensive plan
Expert-backed drainage plan for River Sal at Benaulim remains elusive, worsening flood risks.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Is there any possibility of the government implementing a comprehensive drainage plan in the flood-prone Khareband-Benaulim area as per Central expert R K Pandey’s recommendations aimed at mitigating floods along the floodplains of the river Sal?
Leave alone initiating the drainage works, even the comprehensive drainage plan is still not in place to date by the government agencies. In fact, it is now apparent that the plan, as well as the works, are not expected to take off at least before the ensuing monsoons.
Otherwise, consider this. Inquiries by 'The Goan' have revealed that the Water Resources Department is believed to have prepared a proposal for the de-silting of the river Sal, along with the construction of a protection wall along the river Sal course running between Vidya Vikas Mandal and the Khareband bridge. WRD officials are also believed to have prepared estimates for the project, but there’s a catch. The current financial year is ending this month, and any new proposal mooted by the WRD will receive the government’s nod only in the new financial year in April.
But, with the monsoons just three months away and the tendering process expected to consume substantial time, officials in the know, in private, say the project can kick-start only after the monsoons, on the condition that the project finds favour with the government.
That’s not all. The WRD may have to face another contentious question – why is a comprehensive drainage plan not in place yet when the central expert had recommended such a plan to mitigate flooding at the Khareband-Benaulim stretch?
This may sound interesting, considering Pandey had submitted his report to the Goa government and the PWD way back in August-September 2023. The delay in preparing the comprehensive drainage plan also assumes significance, given that the government has rushed the western bypass project on priority.
Pandey was sent to Benaulim by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in 2023 to assess the situation around the flood-prone areas of the Khareband-Benaulim belt in response to the petition filed by Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai, demanding the construction of the western bypass on stilts passing through the water catchment Tolleaband water body in Benaulim.
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WRD prepares for routine de-weeding
MARGAO: With no drainage plan in place, the Water Resources Department (WRD) is gearing up to perform the annual ritual at the river Sal – de-weeding of the river stretch ahead of the monsoons.
With the Benaulim stretch of the river Sal from Vidya Vikas Mandal to the Khareband bridge invaded by a thick carpet of water hyacinth weed, the WRD has drawn up a plan to deploy a mechanical weed harvester to clear the weed from the river.
Given that the three-year maintenance period of the Sal de-silting project has expired, the PWD has drawn up a plan to engage a private contractor for the de-weeding work. A WRD official has informed that the de-weeding work is purely temporary in nature, conceding that only a comprehensive plan, including de-silting and protection of the riverbanks, will provide permanent relief from flooding.
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Culvert controversy: Residents oppose height increase as PWD project stalls
MARGAO: Central expert R K Pandey’s recommendation to increase the number of culverts on the Khareband-Benaulim road near the Mercado shopping mall has kicked up a huge row.
The PWD, Roads, had proposed a big culvert near the Mercado Mall for the quick drainage of floodwater from the adjoining Tolleaband water body into the river Sal, in line with Pandey’s recommendations. The project, however, has hit a roadblock with residents and the Benaulim Panchayat questioning the height of the culvert, fearing it will lead to road accidents.
In fact, work on the culvert, located close to the western bypass underpass, has been stalled for the last year, with residents questioning the rationale behind increasing the height. With one portion of the culvert completed, the PWD had sought road closure of the Khareband-Mercado Mall road to take up the balance work on the project.
Local residents, along with Benaulim Panchayat members led by Sarpanch Xavier Pereira and activist Santan Pereira, have sought clarity on the proposal before the work resumes. The Sarpanch has requested PWD officials to produce the design and the plan of the culvert before starting the work. Residents have also made suggestions to reduce the culvert height to the existing road level to avoid accidents.
Both Sarpanch Xavier Pereira and activist Santan Pereira said they are not against development but pointed out that government agencies bulldoze projects without taking the residents into confidence.
PWD sources have informed that former officials had proposed the culvert with the height to ensure the drainage of floodwater from the Tolleaband water body into the river Sal to mitigate flooding in the low-lying areas of Khareband and Benaulim.
Incidentally, while Pandey had recommended additional culverts on the Khareband-Mercado Mall road in his report, the PWD has been struggling to put in place a single culvert for the last year. Questions are being raised as to whether work on the culvert will be completed in all respects before the onset of the ensuing monsoons.
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No clearance, no drawings? PWD project under scanner
MARGAO: Was the culvert project tendered by the PWD, Roads, without obtaining proper technical clearance or approvals from the government?
At the joint inspection of the culvert on Wednesday, engineers reportedly admitted that the project was being implemented without the mandatory clearances.
Further complicating the matter, there are allegations that the contractor responsible for the project did not receive official drawings from the PWD and has been relying solely on verbal instructions from PWD engineers, leading to fears of potential design flaws and safety risks.
Since May 2024, the Benaulim Panchayat has sent multiple letters—at least four or five—urging the Executive Engineer to provide the necessary drawings and related documents, but these requests have gone unanswered.
