MARGAO
As Union Minister for Roads and Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari pushes for the Cuncolim road bypass as part of the Kanyakumari-Mumbai National Highway expansion project, beginning from Uskini bandh before the proposed bypass joins the existing highway at Balli, a resident of Cuncolim faced the bitter prospect of losing his house built in 1996.
In fact, Alison Fernandes told the media that his house was built by his hard earned savings, but may go for demolition before it could complete 30 years in 2026.
That’s not all. Alison says his plans to go into agriculture after retirement from service would be dashed as the alignment of the proposed bypass poses threat to his plantations as well. Alison along with residents, whose houses are also going for total or partial demolition, made a fervent plea to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the district Collectors to save his house by shifting the alignment. Alison along with other residents told the media that the bypass should not be built over the houses of the people.
“I had built the house in 1996 with all my savings. I had developed the property around the house with plantations to pursue agriculture after my retirement. Leave alone farming, I may lose my house which was built with my hard earned savings,” he said.
Alison said the proposed alignment is passing through low lying and a better alignment would be on the southern side considering that the river passes on the western side.
“The entire area which is low lying would be flooded and a retention wall on the southern side of the proposed road would lead to flooding. Hence, the alignment as proposed ought to be avoided taking into consideration the topography of the land,” he said.
He added: “More houses would be affected by flooding though at that stretch only the house of the undersigned gets affected. It would be a natural disaster for the people living on the southern side of the proposed road and catastrophe has to be avoided by avoiding building of the road.
