the goan I network
MARGAO
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao and villagers on Tuesday warned the government not to take up work on the balance 2.75 km stretch of the western bypass without first desilting the River Sal and putting in place two underpasses at Seraulim and Khareband for smooth movement of vehicular traffic.
Taking cognisance of the public sentiments, PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar was quick to direct PWD officials to put up a file for the two underpasses and also write to the agencies, including River Navigation, Captain of Ports, Water Resources Department and the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) for a meeting on the River Sal desilting.
“Don’t blame us if people set your machinery on fire. I have told you to first desilt the River Sal. Former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar had assured last year that the Centre has sanctioned Rs 200 crore for River Sal desilting. The underpasses at Seraulim-wholesale fish market junction and at Khareband are a must. Traffic signals will not help regulate traffic. It will only put the villagers to hardships,” Churchill told the PWD Minister during an interaction with the sarpanchas, elected representatives and citizens of Benaulim constituency at the district Collectorate here on Tuesday.
The Benaulim MLA pointed out though the people of Benaulim and Seraulim have been demanding the bypass on stilts on the 2.75 km stretch passing through the flood plains of River Sal, he felt that desilting of the river should suffice to take care of the flooding.
When a PWD official maintained that building the bypass on stilts will cost the exchequer additional Rs 400 crore, Churchill demanded to know the fate of the River Sal desilting project costing Rs 200 crore announced by outgoing PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar. “We are not opposed to development. At least, first desilt the river before undertaking the bypass work on the balance portion. Otherwise, posterity will not forgive us for flooding along these villages in the future,” Churchill said.
When a Seraulim citizen, Kevin insisted that people of Seraulim will not settle nothing less than a bypass, Churchill reminded that he does not want to hand out any false promise, saying he would get the River Sal desilted first to take care of flooding.
The PWD Minister later told senior official Nitin Neurekar to find out the status of the Rs 200 crore River Sal desilting project and also write to the NIO, WRD, CoP and River Navigation for a meeting on the desilting work. He also told Executive Engineer, NH Laxmikant Naik to put up a note with estimates on the construction of the underpasses at Seraulim and Khareband, promising to take up the matter with the Chief Minister for funds.
When an official claimed that the two underpasses may cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 50 crore, the PWD Minister said he and Churchill will call on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant with a plea to arrange the funds and will also call on the Centre, if necessary.
Kevin and other Seraulim villagers drew attention of the PWD Minister and the PWD officials how the farmers of Seraulim had to bear the brunt of the water-logging caused by the construction of the western bypass up to the wholesale fish market. “If the rain water could not flow down the wetlands and destroyed crops because of the bypass work up to the wholesale fish market, just imagine what would happen along the 2.75 km stretch if the same is built with earthen embankments,” Kevin said, adding that additional culverts proposed along the 2.75 stretch will not prevent flooding.
