MARGAO
Raising apprehensions that the 12-meter road overbridge (ROB) under construction over the railway tracks in the village will be used for coal transportation in the future, Chandor villagers on Friday demanded that the government restrict the width of the ROB to six meters and save
the heritage village from destruction.
Saying the villagers are not opposed to the ROB per se, they further demanded to put a height barrier on the bridge to stop plying of heavy vehicles.
The villagers also demanded that the government immediately de-notify the SH8 highway into a Major District Road (MDR) and then to a village road, fearing that a 12-meter bridge would only bring in heavy traffic and defeat the purpose behind the demand for the de-notification of the SH8 highway.
Drawing the attention of the Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias, who had called a meeting of Chandor and Guirdolim villagers to discuss the SH8 issue with PWD officials, that the District Collect had in the past issued notification banning plying of heavy trucks in Chandor, the villagers demanded the implementation of the notification in letter and spirit.
After hearing the views and sentiments of the villagers, the Cuncolim MLA said he would place the demand of the villagers for a six-meter bridge instead of the planned 12-meter ROB before Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. He assured the villagers of Chandor that he would not allow the demolition of any structure, leave alone a heritage house once the ROB takes shape.
PWD Executive Engineer, Prasad Panandikar, assured the villagers of Chandor and Guirdolim that the SH8 highway will be soon de-notified into a Major District Road (MDR). He attributed the delay for the de-notification of the SH8 highway to the delay by the department to find out whether there’s any other MDR No 53 in any part of the state.
“I can assure you that all decks for the de-notification of the SH8 highway have been cleared. It may take at the most a month for the notification to come”, Panandikar said.
The Cuncolim MLA told the media the fears expressed by the Chandor villagers on the 12-meter ROB were not entirely misplaced. “They are demanding to restrict the width of the 12-meter ROB to 6-meters, fearing the bridge will be used for heavy traffic in the future. I will take up the matter with the Chief Minister to address the concerns of the villagers, if possible via a Cabinet decision,” Clafacio said.
He, however, assured that he will not allow a single heritage house to be demolished in Chandor.
Chandor Sarpanch Edward D’Silva said the villagers are neither opposing the ROB nor any development, but only want the government to restrict the width of the bridge to 6-meters.
“We fear that the ROB will be used by the coal lobby in the future. We have no objection to the bridge if the width is restricted to 6-meters with a height barrier,” he added.
A villager Domnick Mendes said they have no issue if the ROB is built with a 6-meter width and the SH8 is converted into a 6-meter village road, making clear that villagers are in favour of development, but not at the cost of its heritage.
