MARGAOThe government is goingahead with the balance workon the controversial 2.75-kmof the Western bypass as thePWD, National Highways, isbracing up to lay the proposedroad through the low-lyingplains and wetlands of Benaulimand Seraulim villages.A separate tender floated bythe PWD, NH, to build the bypassat an estimated cost of Rs141 crore has been opened. Ofthe four bidders, who had participatedin the tender, PWDofficials informed that M VRao Constructions has quotedaround Rs 148 crore to completethe p
roject.Sources said MVR’s proposalhas gone to the PWD higher-ups for approval, with asenior PWD official saying thework order will be issued tothe bidder after receiving thegovernment nod.In the event MVR Construction’sproposal finds favourwith the government, the contractorwill be given a deadlineof one year and a half tocomplete the missing link sothat the entire bypass is commissionedbefore the onset ofmonsoons in 2022.While villagers of Benaulimand Seraulim have been steadfastin their demand for theconstruction of the bypass onstilts, fearing large-scale inundationof the low-lying areasalong the flood plains of RiverSal, PWD, NH Executive Engineer,Laxmikant Naik has triedto allay the apprehensions,saying the new tender hastried to address the concernsof the villagers.“The PWD has floated aseparate tender for the 2.75 kmmissing link “ from the Margaowholesale fish market tothe Varca-Benaulim road -- inorder to address the apprehensionsraised by the villagers.The tender has accommodatedthe need for additional andwide culverts and also underpassesto ensure smooth of vehiculartraffic to these villages,”Naik said.In fact, the PWD, EE said atotal of 14 culverts will be builtalong the 2.75-km stretch totake care of the water flow duringthe monsoons. Besides, hesaid that the new tender hasaccommodated the pointsraised by the villagers for thesmooth flow of vehicular trafficby proposing to build fourunderpasses right from thewholesale fish market to theBenaulim-Varca road.“The additional culvertscoupled with the desilting ofthe river Sal, for which a separatetender is being floated bythe Water Resources Departmentshould address concernson flooding along the 2.75stretch,” he added.Work on the balance sectionof the 11-km bypass, linkingthe national highway at Navelimin the south and Verna inthe north, is nearing completion.While the Verna-Nuvemstretch of the bypass is completed,barring minor work,work on the Telaulim-Navelimstretch is progressing at a fastpace.The bypass project hadcome under opposition fromthe villagers of Navelim, Benaulimand Seraulim, besidesMungul, demanding that thebypass be built on stilts as theproject entailed massive fillingof land along the stretch, especiallyalong the Navelim-Benaulim-Seraulim stretch.Taking cognizance of theconcerns expressed by the villagers,former CM late ManoharParrikar had personallydescended on the villages toget first-hand information beforesanctioning a road overbridgealong the stretch passingthrough the picturesqueSalpem lake at Navelim.
