Members reiterate demand for construction of flyover or road overbridge; villagers Want PWD to build bypass passing through Salpem lake on stilts
MARGAO
The accident prone western bypass junction at Bellem took the centrestage at the Navelim gram sabha on Sunday with agitated members demanding construction of a flyover or a road overbridge at the junction.
Gram sabha members also lamented that the PWD, National Highway went back on its promise to build the bypass passing through the Salpem lake on stilts, with members saying the bypass passing through the lake was built on stilts only near the underpasses.
At the gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Bevinda Gonsalves, the western bypass dominated the proceedings with members expressing their concern over the rising accidents at the Bellem junction, including a couple of fatal accidents.
The members demanded that the panchayat write to the PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral, local MLA Ulhas Tuenkar and PWD authorities to call for a joint meeting with the panchayats of Navelim and Telaulim to find out a solution to the accidents near the Bellem junction.
After a member pointed out that the State government has not much say in the western bypass as the work is being executed by the Central government, the members demanded that the panchayat write to the Union Ministry of Surface Transport to work out a solution at the junction by building a flyover.
Members were critical of the PWD, National Highway for it indifference in adopting precautionary measures to avoid accidents at the Bellem junction. They pointed out that no day has passed without an accident taking place at the Bellem junction and demanded immediate measures to overcome the issue.
Sarpanch Bevinda Gonsalves later told the media that the panchayat would call for a joint meeting between the panchayats of Navelim and Telaulim with the PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral, PWD authorities to find a solution to the problem.
“We have lost a couple of lives near the bypass junction and gram sabha members were concerned over the rising accidents at the junction,” she added.
Contaminated wells: Locals demand govt provide free water
MARGAO: Navelim gram sabha members on Sunday demanded that the government provide free water to the household in the village in the event the drinking water wells, both private and public, are found contaminated and unfit for drinking.
The members also refused to take the oath on water, demanding that the PWD first provide all the details, including the number of water connections issued by the department in Navelim.
Expressing concern over the contamination of drinking water wells in the village due to the sewage flow into the village from neighbouring Margao, gram sabha members demanded the government conduct a survey of the drinking water wells and come out with the findings.
“If the wells are contaminated, it is the responsibility of the government to supply free water to the households since the wells are contaminated due to government’s inaction against the sewage discharge into the storm water drains,” the members said.
The gram sabha has also demanded that the panchayat tone up the tenants verification exercise in the village. The gram sabha also demanded that the panchayat initiate action by way of issuing notices to the illegal constructions in the village.
