the goan I network
MARGAO
Citizens from Fatorda, Margao, Seraulim and Benaulim prone to floods during monsoons displayed a flood relief boat 2018 at Maddel, Fatorda to draw the attention of TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and other authorities to the danger posed by the Western bypass construction in the flood plains of River Sal.
Local journalist Savio Dias and a group of people told the media that the exhibition of the Margao floods relief boat 2018 is only to highlight the dangers posed by the Western bypass if it is not built on stilts along the 3.5 km stretch between Seraulim and Benaulim.
The residents also addressed a memorandum to the TCP Minister seeking action to save their lives and their property from the expected man-made floods in Salcete to the Western bypass road construction.
They pointed out that the Western bypass is built without any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study and the bypass is pushed on the people when there’s already an existing Eastern bypass which too starts from Nuvem, but the same is left incomplete and which also leads to the destination end of the Western bypass. “Rain water from Margao city, Borda, Gogol, Sonsodo, Fatorda, Nuvem Verna, Seraulim and other areas too flow via Mungul through only one water way culvert of River Sal tributary which is under the railway bridge,” the memorandum said, adding that the land filling of agricultural land at the mouth of the water way for the Western bypass would lead to floods at Mungul and surrounding areas.
The people pointed out that construction of the Western bypass on stilts at a stretch of 3.5 km will bring relief to the people of these villages in Salcete. “The floods would also affect agricultural land in other areas too. We see that the government, which is trying to promote agriculture is all set to destroy agriculture in the State,” the memorandum added.
In the meantime, Savio Dias told the media in the evening that the flood relief boat, which was installed in the morning, was lifted away by evening by the authorities.
