MARGAO
With the just-concluded Assembly election throwing up a change in guard, the new Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Venzy Viegas has mooted a fresh initiative to get the controversial western bypass on stilts along the Benaulim stretch, even going to the extent of knocking the doors of the Supreme Court to save people’s lives and property.
Making it clear that the box culverts proposed by the PWD, National Highway will not suffice to prevent floods, he demanded the government should put in place a plan wherein it can withstand heavy rains, including a 100-year flood in the State.
While saying the only option left to tackle the floods is to build the bypass on stilts, Venzy, however, made it clear that the bypass construction work has almost reached the completion stage, adding ‘we have to try and salvage the situation before the bypass sans stilts become a reality’.
He along with Benaulim ZP member Hanzel Fernadnes and residents of Benaulim descended near the Afonso Correia hospital, for a meeting with PWD, National Highway officials, where people had stopped the land filling work on Tuesday.
“One of our villagers, Royla Fernandes had knocked the doors of the National Green Tribunal, after which an expert committee has recommended construction of the bypass on stilts to a stretch admeasuring 980 metres, between Seraulim and Mungul. Let the Benaulim panchayat move the High Court again since the matter is pending there. If the occasion arises, we should be prepared to knock the doors of the Supreme Court in order to save the lives and property of our people,” he said.
While the MLA had an interaction with Benaulim Sarpanch Vencila and Deputy Sarpanch Nilesh Prabhudesai, requesting them to adopt a resolution today itself on the matter, Venzy has promised to pursue the political path as well, by seeking an appointment with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. “I am a new MLA, but I will try and get an appointment with the Chief Minister to impress upon him the need to build the bypass on stilts. It will be worth spending additional Rs 400 crore on building the project on stilts if it helps in saving the lives of the people. We will stress before the government and the High Court that the additional cost will be nothing when it comes to saving people’s lives,” he asserted.
“Governance is all about saving lives. If there is a 100-year flood, everything will be lost,” he added.
Venzy along with the people were seen in a huddle with PWD, NH officials explaining the new MLA on the alignment of the bypass, which cuts through the picturesque Tolleaband lake.
