PANAJI
The State government rejected the proposal for modification of the design of the Western Bypass project for the Benaulim portion from building it on mud embankments to stilts citing lack of time due to the December 2023 deadline set for its completion by the Bombay High Court.
PWD Minister, Nilesh Cabral told the Goa legislative Assembly that the proposal mooted by Aam Aadmi PArty's (AAP) Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas in his private member's resolution to construct it on stilts cannot be accepted due to the court's deadline.
He said, the 'Western Bypass' project will be completed by the current year-end and that the work is being monitored by court-appointed monitors and urged Viegas to withdraw his resolution assuring him that the nullahs and other natural drainage to let storm water flow into the Arabian sea and avoid flooding will be executed together with WRD.
Viegas, however did not agree to the minister's suggestion and insisted that his resolution be put to the vote of the House. It was eventually defeated by a 27-6 margin. One MLA from the Opposition -- Altone D'Costa -- was not present in the house when the Speaker took the division vote count as were five from the treasury benches.
Earlier, Viegas moving his resolution, had strongly advocated discarding the plan to build it on embankments citing the massive flooding of the adjoining catchment area last year as well as this year, despite doubling the number of box-culverts.
Viegas argued that the study report done by the WRD on the basis of which the proposal to build it on an embankment was cleared had been proved faulty, as the entire catchment area in Benaulim and the River Sal were both flooded and overflowing in early July last year as well as this year.
The Benaulim MLA said, the formula -- rational formula and Ryve's formula -- used by the WRD to produce the study were wrong as practical ground realities were not taken into consideration while deriving the 'peak flood discharge' and discharge capacity of the River Sal.
The Benaulim MLA also urged the government to agree to a re-evaluation of the ground realities and re-do the technical study by the WRD after which a final decision could be taken, but Cabral did not concede arguing that it would take time and the court deadline to finish it by the end of this year will be violated.
Viegas' resolution was also backed by Goa Forward Party's (GFP) Vijai Sardesai, who said the demand for building the bypass on the Benaulim stretch had been pursued by him with Union minister Nitin Gadkari who had sent a technical advisor to inspect the area recently.
"According to me the demand to build the bypass on stilts would involve just an additional Rs 50-crores and that the government should take a positive view and clear it," Sardesai said.
Other Opposition members including Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao, Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Cruz Silva and Viresh Borkar also spoke in support of the resolution arguing that perennial flooding due to the embankment would affect the entire village and farmers cultivating alongside the bypass.
