the goan I network
MARGAO
Virtually ruling out the possibility of building the remaining 2.75 km of the Western bypass on stilts, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday allayed the apprehensions of flooding raised by the people, saying adequate drainage will be laid along the route to drain out the rainwater.
When the Chairman of Nuvem Bio-diversity Committee Jose Roque Andrade demanded to know the status of the 2.75 km stretch of the Western bypass between Seraulim and Benaulim, the Chief Minister said the government has decided to put in place additional water drainage structures along the stretch to take care of the apprehensions of flooding.
“During the monsoon season, the Principal Chief Engineer had visited the flood plains of river Sal and it has been decided to put in place additional wide culverts for the drainage of the rainwater,” he said.
Saying that it is not possible to build the 2.75 km bypass on stilts, apparently given the financial implications, the Chief Minister allayed the apprehensions raised by the people on the flooding of low-lying areas during monsoons.
Villagers of Seraulim, Mungul and Benaulim had been vehemently opposing the construction of the bypass by filling of land, saying the filling will only displace the water and inundate low-lying areas of these villages.
In fact, the gram sabha meetings of the villages of Benaulim and Seraulim had adopted a host of resolutions demanding the construction of the bypass on stilts to prevent flooding of these villages.
