MARGAO
A day after a delegation from Benaulim led by MLA Venzy Viegas and others called on the Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari with a plea to build the balance portion of the western bypass on stilts, a fresh memorandum was submitted to the office of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on behalf of the children and villagers of Benaulim to build the bypass on stilts.
Petitioner in the National Green Tribunal Royla Fernandes said copies of the memorandum submitted to the Union Minister on Thursday have been submitted to the offices of the Chief Minister and the PWD minister on Friday.
In the memorandum, the children and the villagers pointed out that the people have strongly objected to the western bypass on embankments and requested stilts, but the Goa government and the PWD - Works Division XIV (NH) have overlooked the fact that the proposed site is a water catchment area for villages of Benaulim, Colva, Seraulim, and up to Nuvem.
It stated that the construction of the western bypass on embankments will destroy the livelihood of farmers who cultivate their lands and earn a living. “The water bodies in these areas which are being reclaimed will render the migratory birds homeless and the cattle without water,” the memorandum stated, pointing out that the loss to biodiversity and the impact on wetland has been disregarded.
The memorandum referred to the Water Resources Department report dated December 23, 2019, specifically identifying that there is a major water body called Toleabandh having two traditional outlets, one for providing water for agriculture and the other for discharging rainwater during monsoon which is collected from the catchment of Benaulim and Seraulim through the drainage system.
The memorandum made a mention of the recommendation by the WRD, categorically stating that since many water bodies (ponds/tanks) are going to be damaged permanently, the alternate system needs to be replaced to keep alive and continue agricultural activities.
The memorandum acknowledged the steps by the Government of Goa, the Chief Minister and the Environment Minister to construct partial stilts from Seraulim to Mungul as per the recommendation of the NGT committee. The memorandum, however, stated that the NGT report had failed to grant stilts in Benaulim citing the reason of cost escalation.
