PANAJI
The Goa government has approached National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) seeking permission for diversion of 1.43 ha of forest land from Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary for reconstruction of existing kuccha road at Nadkem and Sakal Tirwal villages.
The proposal, which was approved by the State Board of Wildlife (SBW), will come up for discussion before the NBWL’s Standing Committee meeting on August 19.
The Public Works Department (PWD) Margao division has moved 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.
The project proponent said 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.
“The existing kuccha road is around 3.50 mts in width and the proposal envisages making the existing kuccha road into tar road without widening the existing road,” the department said.
The PWD said that the Chief Wildlife Warden has recommended the proposal subject to the condition that no damage is done to forest & wildlife habitat during execution of work.
