MAPUSA
Residents along the National Highway (NH)-66, spanning from Mapusa to Colvale, have raised concerns over the continuous dumping of debris and construction material along the roadside.
The unsightly heaps not only mar the landscape but also spark fears of illegal land filling in the vicinity.
Truckloads of debris are being offloaded onto the service road in Gaunsavaddo, Mapusa, extending all the way to Colvale in the Tivim constituency.
Under the cloak of darkness, perpetrators have been observed dumping the materials, presumably to evade public scrutiny.
John Lobo, a resident of Peddem, disclosed that fields have been utilised for dumping, effectively serving as makeshift landfills.
“Massive dumping is ongoing along the highway. Authorities need to crack down on offenders,” Lobo emphasised, highlighting the roles of local officials such as mamlatdars and talathis in taking action.
Despite written complaints from locals of Gaunsavaddo and Camarcazan to both authorities and MLAs, no tangible steps have been taken to address the issue.
What began as a problem confined to Mapusa has now proliferated to Colvale, with villagers reporting indiscriminate dumping of debris and even garbage along the highway's service road.
Kalpesh Matkar, a resident of Colvale, pointed fingers at building contractors as the primary culprits behind the illicit dumping.
“The authorities seem to turn a blind eye to these activities. They must proactively intervene,” Matkar urged.
However, Colvale Sarpanch Dashrath Bicholkar absolved local jurisdiction, stating that the area falls under the purview of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
Fisheries Minister and Tivim MLA Nilkanth Halarnkar acknowledged that certain areas were designated for debris dumping during highway expansion works but stressed the need for vigilance to curb unauthorised dumping.
“The authorities concerned must take precautionary measures and swiftly act to halt this blatant dumping activity along the highway,” Halarnkar asserted.
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BOX
Govt circular orders swift action
against road-widening violations
MAPUSA: In a bid to crack down on illegal activities related to road-widening projects, the government has issued a circular directing revenue officials to conduct thorough inspections along National Highways and State highways.
The circular, issued last year by Durga Kinlekar, Under Secretary (Revenue-I), mandates immediate action against any observed violations within a strict 48-hour time-frame.
Empowering collectors, deputy collectors, mamlatdars, and flying squads concerned, the circular invokes Section 6 of the Goa Land (Prohibition of Construction) Act to combat illegal filling and construction activities. According to the directive, talathis in the respective areas are obligated to promptly report any infractions for swift intervention.
Additionally, mamlatdars are instructed to file a checklist, while deputy collectors are mandated to initiate actions as per the Land Revenue Code.
