MARGAO
Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar has promised to take up desilting of the historic 12 bundhs in Cuncolim and restore the water bodies to their pristine glory.
The WRD Minister was in Cuncolim on Tuesday to inaugurate the crash barrier project executed at Masconi ward worth Rs 24 lakh to protect vehicle riders from crashing in the Selaulim irrigation canal.
Shirodkar told the gathering that the Pramod Sawant government does not discriminate the Opposition-ruled constituencies, saying the government is committed to usher in the development across the State. “Cuncolim occupies an eminent place in the history of the State. The government will take up the public oriented projects in the constituency,” he said.
In his address, the Opposition leader Yuri Alemao, who represents Cuncolim constituency in the Legislative Assembly, urged the WRD Minister to put a stop to pollution by the fish meal and fish processing units operating at the Cuncolim Industrial estate. “The WRD Minister was kind enough to depute his engineers to the Cuncolim Industrial Estate when I drew his attention to the illegal practice of discharging fish effluents into the underground water through bore wells,” Yuri said. He, however, pointed out that the WRD engineers could not do much since the bore wells are all located well beneath the concrete surface in the units.
Yuri also made an impassioned plea to the WRD Minister to take up the work of de-silting of the 12 bundhs, which constitute the heritage and identity of the people of Cuncolim. “These 12 bundhs were taken up by my father Joaquim, when he was the Urban Development Minister. The bundhs now crave for attention as they are silted,” he added.
Cuncolim Municipal Councillor Laxman Naik also spoke. CMC Chairperson Landry Mascarenhas and councillors were present.
