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mapusa
The Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) commended the government for taking up the much required dredging work of Mapusa River, but questioned whether the government was really serious in taking up the work.
“The dredging work is a good initiative and the government should be applauded for taking up the work. But has the government deliberately refrained from obtaining required permissions so that the work is stopped and the whole work is re-tendered at a higher price,” asked Abhay Samant, North Goa General Secretary of GSM while addressing the media in Mapusa.
“If this is true, then it’s one type of corruption and should be condemned in no uncertain terms,” he added.
He said dredging of the river was crucial because a lot of people immersed Ganesh idols in the river during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
“Time and again, our members have raised the issue of de-silting of the river, particularly around the pipe bridge along the NH-17 (now NH66),” he said.
Another member, Rohidas, informed that one of the main reasons for the river to get stagnant was because all the silt had collected at the mouth of the pipe bridge, thereby blocking the natural flow of the water.
“The National Highway authorities should remove the pipe bridge and construct a proper concrete bridge with concrete pillars so that the natural flow of the water is restored,” he said.
Censuring the method used to dredge the river, GSM Treasurer Rupesh Raut said the intention of the government was good but the technique used was far from satisfactory.
“We need to protect our environment and dumping mud in the middle of the river was not the right way of doing the job,” Raut said.
He also said cleaning only part of the river was not the right way to achieve the target to clean the decaying Mapusa River.
