MARGAO
Residents of Cuncolim and Chinchinim keep their fingers crossed as the national highways authority will kick start survey work of marking three alternatives for the proposed Sirlim-Cuncolim-Balli bypass from March 12.
The survey work will be carried out by Ms Aarvee Associates “ Architects, Engineers, Consultants Pvt Ltd in the presence of NH-17 officials, members of the core group, which has been demanding the bypass starting from the residence of Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues and running parallel to the Konkan Railway tracks at Sarzora before meeting the highway after the Balli Primary Health Centre.
NH officials told The Goan that the survey work would only include marking the proposed Cuncolim by-pass alignment, all the three alternatives mooted by the department as well as those proposed by the residents of Cuncolim and Dandeavaddo in Chinchinim.
The survey and demarcation work are being conducted following instructions issued by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over a month ago after TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai along with former Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao called on him along with the residents of Cuncolim and Dandeavaddo with a plea to retain the bypass alignment running parallel to the railway tracks.
A NH official informed that the bypass plan prepared by the highways authority shows the bypass starting from Uskinibandh after the NUSI hospital, passes the low-lying fields, before coming out meters away from the Cuncolim Union ground and enters Khorlen in Ward No 6 near the railway gate.
This NH alignment has been opposed by the residents of Panzorconne-Cuncolim on grounds that the bypass should start from the village gate at Sarzora as shown in the Regional Plan. Similarly, residents of Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim have demanded that the national highways authority retain the bypass alignment designed by the consultant engaged during the tenure of Laxmimant Parsekar government as the alignment has mooted a bypass near the residence of Velim MLA Filipe Neri
Rodrigues.
“We will only carry out the work on the demarcation of all the three bypass alignments and submit the same to the government to take the final call,” the NH official told The Goan. During the meeting with the TCP Minister and former Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao, the Chief Minister had assured the delegation that the government would first demarcate the three alternate bypass alignments before a final decision is taken by the government.
The delegation of residents of Cuncolim and Dandeavaddo had insisted that the government build the bypass along the Ronkan railway tracks keeping in mind the long term traffic scenario as the bypass proposed at the Uskinibandh will again bring all heavy traffic to the town.
