the goan I network
MARGAO
Having a disaster management authority in place is one thing and having one which is well-equipped to handle disasters is another.
But in the South it appears that there is no sign of both. Otherwise, look at the picture of this news story -- two huge uprooted banyan tress have been blocking an internal road at Sirvodem-Margao for the last eight days.
Unbelievable. Residents of Sirvodem are at a loss to explain why these trees, which came crashing down on August 5, continue to be there.
The road leading to the football grounds has become inaccessible for the simple reason that the uprooted trees continue to lie on the road.
The fire brigade has expressed its inability to cut the trees and private cutters are quoting rates as high as Rs 80,000 and Rs 65,000 to
clear these.
Now, the question is which agency or body will fund the clearance of the trees and open the road for traffic.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat twice visited the spot, and so did Margao Municipal Council ward councillor Doris Texeira, but in vain.
In fact, Doris pointed out that since the two private tree cutters have quoted Rs 80,000 and Rs 65,000, she had made a proposal to the Chief Officer asking the civic body to engage the private cutters for
the job.
She, however, said that CO Sidhivinayak Naik has kept the proposal on hold on grounds that the municipality will write to the District Collector, South, who is the Chairman of the district disaster management authority, to intervene in the matter.
“I have no idea about response of the District Collector to the MMC letter. All I know is that the Salcete mamlatdar has point blank refused to intervene in the matter on grounds that it is for the agencies concerned to do the job,” she said.
With the fire brigade maintaining that its personnel are not in a position to clear the trees and funds not forthcoming from the district disaster agency, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat has said he has requested a local builder to help with funds so that the trees are cleared away at the earliest. “I will again review the situation on Tuesday,” he said.
A local resident Xavier Fernandes said it is indeed surprising that agencies entrusted with the responsibility to attend to disasters have all shied away from clearing the trees for the last eight days.
“The local boys have cleared a bread fruit tree that had fallen on the road, but since the banyan trees are huge in size, we only hope the authorities will intervene and open the road blocked since the last eight days,”
Xavier added.
