MARGAO
An inspection carried out by the Benaulim panchayat of a scrapyard on the banks of river Sal has raised questions whether the activity is being carried out sans permission and whether the boulders found on the property in question has been dumped for the purpose of land filling.
Reminding that Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and his Margao counterpart Digambar Kamat had last year vowed to protect river Sal, farmers and local residents insisted that the duo walk the talk and save River Sal from destruction.
Acting Benaulim Sarpanch Gylda Rodrigues told the media after the inspection that Panchayat would request the government not to allow any conversion of the land in question on the banks of river Sal.
Saying that the property owner has not taken any permission to carry on the scrapyard business on the land in question, the acting Sarpanch said the panchayat will write to the deputy Collector, Margao to initiate action in the matter. “We have come across boulders dumped on the land. May be probably they will be used for land filling. We do not know the exact reason. We will ask the party to reply what exactly is happening on the land”, she said.
Social activist and local resident Roque Fernandes told the media that the scrap yard activity is being carried out right on the banks of river Sal. “Waste from the activity might have found its way in the river. The river was inspected last year by MLAs Digambar Kamat and Venzy Viegas and they had vowed to restore river Sal to its pristine glory. We would like the MLAs to walk the talk”, he said.
Local farmer Raymond D’Costa recalled when the Water Resources department had brought machinery to clear the storm water nullahs before the monsoons, they had desilted the nullahs near Mercardo mall and left the nullahs at the scrap yard site unattended.
Warren Alemao joined the locals of Benaulim in demanding an inquiry by Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira into the scrapyard activity and allegation of land filling. “Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas has time to take up issues across the state, but he seemed to have failed to highlight the issue of scrapyard activity and alleged land filling in his home constituency”, Warren said, while saying the scrap yard was engulfed in a major fire around a decade ago.
