“The highway is being built through fertile fields through filling around 12 kilometres of fields right from Nuvem to Dramapur all in Salcete. The first question is does Goa need this bypass when work on four-laning of the existing road is already on?
Ernest Moraes, Aam Aadmi Party
AAP raises questions over need of Western bypass
Concern over fertile fields being destroyed and flooding of River Sal
THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The AAP has hit out at the government over the construction of Margao’s western bypass, and has accused the government of pushing through a project through pristine fields along River Sal against the wishes of the people.
Addressing the media, Ernest Moraes of the Aam Aadmi Party, said that the government should either consider building a flyover over the existing road or if not, then a highway on stilts rather than through filling fields with 24-lakh cubic metres of mud.
“The highway is being built through fertile fields through filling around 12 kilometres of fields right from Nuvem to Dramapur all in Salcete. The first question is does Goa need this bypass when work on four-laning of the existing road is already on? Moraes said adding that it appeared that the government was hastily going ahead with the work just to show the people that it is doing development ahead of the elections.
“If it is not needed then why do we have to suffer such destruction of the environment? They are filling all culverts, streams, and traditional waterways through the fields. Where will the water go during the rains? Even as recently as last year there was flooding in low lying areas of Benaulim, and other villages along River Sal,” Neri Fernandes another AAP activist said.
“The contractor was not able to furnish copies of an Environmental Impact Assessment report required as per MOEF guidelines since the entire route is eco-sensitive Zone 1. Was such a report even prepared?” Moraes asked adding that as the River Sal is running parallel and very close to this bypass, the silt from this earth filling could drain into the river basin during rains and pollute and also lessen the width and depth of the river, causing further risk of flooding due to decreased flow capacity.
“The Aam Aadmi Party demands that the government of Goa take serious note of the above concerns, and supports the villagers’ demand that the contractor immediately halt the construction of the highway until these issues are addressed in consultation with the affected villages,” he said.
