MARGAO
It’s just a matter of days before the long-delayed Margao bypass, locally known as the Western bypass will finally see light of the day.
Conceived and planned around two decades ago with the avowed objective to decongest Margao and adjoining Navelim on the city’s outskirts, from the heavy highway vehicular traffic, plying on the Karnataka-Maharashtra National Highway, the bypass is fast nearing completion on the balance Benaulim-Mungul-Seraulim stretch spanning around 2.75 km.
If senior PWD, NH officials are to be believed, the PWD and the contractor had sought time till September to complete the bypass work in all respects. The matter is coming up for hearing before the High Court next week, and if sources are to be believed, the PWD and the contractor may seek some additional time of a few days to complete the work in all respects before the bypass is thrown open for traffic by November end or December, but before the end of the 2024 calendar year.
“Major portion of the bypass work is complete. The contractor has to complete the work of asphalting. The officials will thereafter conduct the road stability and safety audit. These works will not take much time and the bypass stretch should be opened by November or December for vehicular traffic,” informed a senior PWD, NH official.
A ride down the Benaulim-Mungul-Seraulim stretch of the bypass road revealed that work is nearing completion. Asphalting of the four-lane road has started in right earnest from the Seraulim point of the bypass. Illumination lamps and poles are in place. The crash barriers too have been erected all along the 2.75 km stretch. A special protection is provided where the bypass crosses the railway tracks.
The 11-km Western bypass road, starts at Verna, just few metres, before the Agnel Ashram complex before the bypass road joins the existing NH66 at Belem in Navelim village. The government had thrown up the Verna-Nuvem stretch of the Western bypass known as the Nuvem bypass, right up to the Margao wholesale fish market, a couple of years ago.
A portion of the southern stretch of the Western bypass along the Navelim-Telaulim stretch right up to the river Sal near the Mercado shopping mall is complete and is playing host to vehicular traffic.
Delay in bypass completion attributed to cost overrun and not demand for stilts
The delay in the completion of the Western bypass and the cost overrun is primarily attributed to the delay in the completion of the project over the popular demand to build the bypass on stilts along the 2.75 km Benaulim-Seraulim-Mungul stretch.
Reason: The 2.75 km stretch of the alignment is passing through the flood plains of river Sal, considered the wetlands and the water catchment areas, spanning across Benaulim, Mungul and Seraulim.
Residents of Seraulim, Mungul and Benaulim waged a sustained battle with successive BJP governments headed by Manohar Parrikar, Laxmikant Parsekar and Pramod Sawant not to oppose the Western bypass, but with a plea to build the balance 2.75 km bypass passing through the flood plains on stilts and save these villages from inundation and destruction.
Officials of government agencies such as the Water Resources Department (WRD) had come clear in supporting the demand of the villagers, even pointing out that construction of the bypass on stilts may resolve the flooding issue plaguing the villages of Benaulim, Mungul and Seraulim, but in vain.
It was only after Benaulim villager Royla Fernandes knocked the doors of the National Green Tribunal, which set up a panel of experts that recommended bypass on stilts that the Goa government agreed to build around 900 metres of the bypass along the Seraulim-Mungul stretch on stilts. Today, one can find the bypass, starting from Seraulim, on stilts till the Mungul railway overbridge, before the bypass is built on huge earthen embankments.
Says Royla Fernandes: “Villagers of Benaulim had never opposed the bypass passing through Tolleaband body. That’s the reason I had to knock the doors of the NGT. I am happy that the expert panel set up by NGT later recommended construction of the bypass on stilts along the Seraulim-Mungul stretch. However, the government gave no relief to the people of Benaulim demanding bypass on stilts.”
