the goan I network
VASCO
Identifying around 20 trees posing a danger along the NH17A is one thing, but getting authorities to actually take action can sometimes demand even greater effort and a possible ultimatum.
The much-touted 24x7 Emergency Control Room in Mormugao taluka as a preparedness measure to tackle any kind of unforeseen emergency during the monsoon was found wanting, as activists struggled to get different authorities to chop down a tree lying dangerously near an electricity tower and along the NH17A near St Jacinto Island.
Authorities finally felled the tree on Wednesday only after activists threatened to file a complaint against them if the tree was not felled within 24 hours.
Speaking to reporters, an activist Rama Kankonkar said he had noticed stones falling on the road, while a huge tree with its roots exposed due to road widening work was lying dangerously close to the edge of the hill by the NH17A and very close to an electricity tower with high tension wires.
“Anticipating threat to motorists and pedestrians, I contacted another activist Olencio Simoes and he advised me to contact authorities. I first contacted the fire services and they said they could not act unless the tree falls down.”
“I then contacted the deputy collector, who said he was on leave and asked me to contact another officer. I then contacted the Mamlatdar and issued an ultimatum that I would file a complaint against all officials if the tree is not cut within 24 hours,” said Kankonkar.
“Merely inspecting sites will not help, authorities have to act swiftly before another fatal mishap takes place,” said Kankonkar, referring to the recent death of an elderly female passenger after a tree fell on a car moving in the area.
Simoes insisted that authorities must act immediately and build a retaining wall at places where hill cutting has been carried out as part of road-widening work, exposing the area to landslides and trees getting uprooted.
Following a threat by activists, authorities inspected the site and Mamlatdar Satish Prabhu confirmed that the tree identified by activists was lying in an extremely dangerous manner.
Prabhu then dispatched workers to the site and got them to chop down the tree by Wednesday evening.
It may be recalled that the Revenue Department had set up 24x7 Emergency Control Rooms in all talukas, as a preparedness measure to tackle any kind of unforeseen emergency occurring during the monsoon.
The 24x7 Control Room contact for the Mormugao Mamlatdar is Ph: 2513014, Fax: 2513014 and the public had been encouraged to report any incident/calamity that could arise due to heavy rainfall in monsoon, so as to enable the government machinery to respond promptly.
