Work on the Western bypass on the Benaulim stretch is moving at a fast pace. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The annual ritual of de-weeding the river Sal around the flood plains of Benaulim-Khareband region has finally begun, but the host of permanent measures recommended by the Centre, including de-silting of the river and protecting the river bundhs still remains a far cry.
While the PWD, National Highways has expedited the pace of work on the western bypass passing through Benaulim, with the High Court setting September 2024 as the deadline for its completion, villagers and beleaguered farmers of Benaulim seemed resigned to their fate that they will have to face yet another flooding and inundation of the low lying areas in the ensuing monsoon.
For, what the villagers and the farmers have been looking forward was the implementation of the comprehensive drainage plan around the Benaulim-Khareband flood plain as per the Centre’s recommendation.
No doubt, the de-weeding of the river will help the quick discharge and drainage of the rain water in the coming monsoons. But, the absence of bundhs along the Mungul-Khareband course of the river, the epicentre of the annual floods, may come back to haunt the authorities.
Centre’s envoy R K Pandey had recommended a comprehensive drainage plan at Khareband-Benaulim area to contain large scale flooding during the monsoons. None of the recommendations, however, have been put in place till date, raising the spectre of flooding this monsoon.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said the threat of flooding around the Benaulim-Khareband area is real like in the previous monsoons. “When the western bypass issue took centrestage in the Goa Legislative Assembly, the opposition had pressed for a vote of count. All the 33 ruling members supported the bypass, while we the opposition opposed. Flooding in the area is real,” he said.
Venzy added: “Centre’s envoy RK Pandey had recommended additional culverts on the Benaulim-Varca road. I have got the PWD to build one culvert. But, river Sal needs to be de-silted for smooth flow of water”.
