Locals objecting to double-tracking work in Arossim on Thursday.
VASCO
Following opposition in Velsao, residents of Arossim protested and have accused RVNL of blocking existing village stormwater drains and feared it could submerge large tracts of farmland and houses during the monsoon.
On Wednesday, Cansaulim-Arossim-Cuelim Panch Mervilla da Costa was confronted by those gathered about the works carried out by RVNL in the vicinity of St Lawrence Chapel, Arossim.
Da Costa replied that she had made a proposal to RVNL through the panchayat for an underpass to facilitate the movement of pedestrians across the existing SWR track.
After objections from the public, she is reported to have stated that she would withdraw her proposal as the residents did not want double tracking and coal passing through their village.
The residents also accused the RVNL of damaging some of the old cross drains in the village.
Mervilla da Costa had also stated that she would request the sarpanch, local MLA and RVNL to conduct a site inspection on Thursday, which did not materialise.
On Thursday, locals gathered near the St Lawrence Chapel at Arossim and confronted workers at the tracks. They wanted to verify if the stormwater drains were intact.
A police team rushed to the site and prevented locals from verifying the drains.
The Mormugao Mamlatdar rushed to the site and interacted with the villagers. He stated that the casing of the embankment built by RVNL would be opened up to prove to that there would be no blockage of the stormwater drain which empties into the tributary of the River Sal and exits at Mollo, Pale (Velsao) into the Arabian Sea.
