the goan I network
MARGAO
The government appears gearing up to go ahead with the construction of the Western bypass without stilts along the flood-prone 3.5 km stretch of the highway passing through the flood plains of river Sal between Seraulim, Mungul and Benaulim.
Two days after Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari ruled out the possibility of constructing the Western bypass on stilts along the 3.5 km stretch, claiming the government has worked out a solution to contain flooding along the river course, boards notifying a designated place for debris dumping has come up right along the Western bypass alignment in Seraulim village.
That’s not all. A senior PWD official informed that they have received green signal from the government to seek police protection if any attempt is made to block the bypass work.
While the sign boards do not state anything on land filling for the proposed Western bypass, that the board has notified the alignment for debris dumping has sent out clear indications that the National Highways is gearing up to resume work on the bypass.
In the past, angry residents had removed the board installed by the PWD suspecting that the debris dumping site at Seraulim village is aimed at land filling for the proposed Western bypass.
When The Goan contacted a senior NH-17 official to shed light on the board put up at Seraulim, notifying the place for debris dumping, he said while the place is now designed for debris dumping on conditions, dumping will in a way help fill up the land for the proposed Western
bypass.
Sources in the PWD, NH-17 stated that with the Union Surface Transport giving all clear signals for the resumption of work on the Western bypass, work is expected to begin along the controversial bypass anytime, including work on land filling along the controversial 3.5 km stretch, spanning between Seraulim, Mungul and Benaulim.
Even as the affected villagers are bracing up for a legal battle, by knocking the doors of the National Green Tribunal and the South District Court to obtain relief and force the government go for the bypass on stilts, PWD officials in the know said the work on the project will commence with police protection.
While work on the 11 km Verna-Dramapur stretch of the Western bypass is presently underway in the villages of Nuvem, Telaulim and Navelim, work had come to a grinding halt along the Benaulim-Mungul-Seraulim stretch following strong protests by the local villagers who had been rooting for bypass on stilts on grounds that land filling will displace the flood waters and inundate the inhabited areas.
Churchill vents ire, says he has no problem if AAP is
trying to play politics on the bypass issue
MARGAO: Questioning why the people of Seraulim and Benaulim did not invite him for the meeting on the Western bypass at Seraulim on last Sunday, an agitated Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao on Thursday said he has no problem if the Aam Aadmi Party try to play politics on the issue to stop the work.
“There ought to be no politics on the bypass. I am the MLA representing Benaulim constituency, but I was not invited for the meeting held on the issue on Sunday,” Churchill lamented, while adding ‘if AAP wants to do politics, let them do and get the work stopped’.
Churchill reminded that he had got the work stopped and even got the PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar for a meeting with the villagers at the South Goa Collector. He, however, hastened to add that he has no problem if AAP and others seek to play politics on the issues. He reiterated that the Western bypass should not only be built on stilts, but the river Sal desilted and the embankments strengthened all along the river.
