MARGAO
A high tide, water catchment full to the brim and a heavy downpour: these factors threw all formulae and calculations worked out by the authorities haywire, with the flood situation only making voices in support of the Benaulim bypass on stilts louder across Benaulim on Tuesday.
As members of the disaster management team along with Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and fisherman Pele Fernandes descended at Tolleaband for an inspection in boats, they found to their shock that the water level in the middle of the water body hovering around a depth of 1.5 to two metres.
In fact, after returning from the inspection of the water body, a Water Resources Department official was quick to concede that the proposed box culverts will not suffice to handle the flood waters at the lake and only a bypass on stilts will avert flooding in the village in the future.
A visibly perturbed Benaulim MLA was heard telling the disaster management team, including the WRD officials that the calculations on water retention at Tolleaband and low-lying areas of Benaulim do not at all reflect on the ground.
“Benaulim is witnessing a flood for three reasons. One, there’s a high tide hindering the smooth movement of water, the water catchment areas are full to the brim and continuous heavy downpour. If this is the situation at Tolleaband and the low-lying areas of Benaulim completely submerged by flood waters, just imagine a situation when a huge four-lane 60-metre wide area is filled up with earth right through these water bodies,” thundered the Benaulim MLA.
Petitioner in the National Green Tribunal Royla Fernandes echoed similar sentiments. She said the authorities, including the Water Resources Department, should present the ground picture in the High Court so that the Benaulim stretch of the bypass is also built on stilts.
A WRD official admitted that the calculations on flood waters at Benaulim were worked out based on an eight-hour flood, adding that what is presently being witnessed is 24-hour incessant rain.
Venzy told the media that the situation on Tuesday noon is clear proof that only a bypass on stilts can save Benaulim from inundation. He said the calculations worked out by the authorities did not take into account the rainfall in hundred years.
Royla further pointed out that the authorities have not favoured a bypass on stilts considering the cost factor, but have not taken the human factor and the environment into account.
Fisherman Pele Fernandes made a fervent plea to the government to consider building the bypass on stilts on the Benaulim stretch.
“Villagers had in the past pleaded for a bypass on stilts. The flood situation that was seen today shows only a bypass on stilts can save the village,” Pele said.
Fire officer Gill D’Sa said the flood situation at Benaulim indeed calls for introspection over the request of the villagers to build the bypass on stills.
After the inspection, all the agencies, including the Fire, WRD, National Highway and Mamlatdar have been told to compile the risk assessment report.
Incidentally, the entire stretch of the bypass alignment along the Benaulim stretch, which was filled with mud, lay submerged under water, only throwing up questions that water displaced by the filling of land.
Seraulim residents complain of
inundation due to bypass work
THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Even as the disaster management team was inspecting the Benaulim stretch of the bypass, residents of neighbouring Seraulim also made their presence felt to complain inundation of paddy fields because of the bypass works.
In fact, former Seraulim Panchayat member Kevin D’Souza pointed out that fields, where paddy was sowed only recently are all waterlogged due to the bypass work. He said though the authorities have agreed to build a flyover between Seraulim and Mungul, the ongoing works have virtually damned the water flow, as a result of which the water is flowing back, inundating the fields.
“Just imagine if the water from Seraulim and Nuvem had to flow freely, and Benaulim would have been completely submerged by now,” he said while wondering why is the government so adamant about bulldozing projects in South Goa.
