PANAJI
The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has approved Goa government's request for diversion of 1.43ha of forest land from Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary for reconstruction of existing kuccha road at Nadkem and Sakal Tirwal villages.
The NBWL has recommended the proposal to the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for grant of wildlife clearance. The NBWL, however, has directed the public works department (PWD) -- the project proponent -- to ensure that no damage is done to forest and wildlife habitat during execution of work.
The PWD Margao division had approached NBWL with two separate proposals for use of 0.999 ha of forest land from the Sanctuary for reconstruction of existing kuccha road at Nadkem village and another 0.44 ha for kuccha road in Sakal Tirwal village.
As per the proposals, the PWD will take up reconstruction of 3123 mts of existing kuccha road at Nadkem village and another 1275 mts length of road in Sakal Tirwal.
“An annual compliance certificate on the stipulated conditions shall be submitted by the User Agency to the State Chief Wildlife Warden and an annual compliance certificate shall be submitted by the State Chief Wildlife Warden to the Government,” the NBWL said during its meeting held on August 19.
NBWL noted that the State Chief Wildlife Warden, while granting its approval, has said that the projects are in “public interest”.
The PWD informed NBWL that both the roads existed before Goa Liberation i.e. 1961 and was shown on cadastral survey plan since 1971. However the roads are now in dilapidated conditions and due to non-availability of proper road the emergency services like Ambulance, fire vehicle, gas cylinder vehicle and any other transport vehicle cannot reach their houses/village. The situation worsens during the monsoon season, the PWD said.
About 180 residents of Nadkem village and another 245 villagers from Sakal Tirwal will benefit after completion of road works. PWD informed that no trees exist along alignment of existing roads.
The project proponent claimed that a need has been felt to connect this existing pre-l961 kuccha road to the all-weather existing pre-1980 tar road, to provide year-long connectivity to the villagers by providing and laying laterite stone soling and black topping of road.
