NEW BORIM BRIDGE
Khazan fields at Loutolim .
MARGAO
In an interesting development in respect of the controversial new High Level Borim bridge, Chief Engineer, PWD Goa has told the National Green Tribunal that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) has recommended several changes to the feasibility and designs proposals initially prepared for the proposed bridge.
Saying the recommendations are crucial to align the design with updated technical, safety and environmental guidelines, the PWD, Chief Engineer has further submitted to the NGT, Pune Bench that the Consultant appointed to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is in the process of incorporating these modifications into the final DPR before finalising the DPR.
Reacting to the development, social activist Abhijit Prabhudesai has demanded that the authorities, including the MoRT&H and the PWD, Goa should carry out the exercise in a transparent manner. He said the modifications carried out to the DRP should be placed in public domain by the authorities.
In an affidavit filed before the NGT, the PWD, Chief Engineer submitted before the Tribunal that pursuant to the Tribunal’s direction, a meeting was held between the DPR (Detailed Project Report) Consultant, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H), during which the later (MoRT&H) recommended several changes to the feasibility and design proposals initially prepared.
The PWD Chief Engineer has further submitted that once the DPR is prepared, it will be submitted to MoRT&H for final approval and sanction, which is a process governed by standard operating protocols and inter-departmental reviews, which is expected to consume minimum six (6) months’ time from the date of submission of the DPR.
The PWD, in the affidavit, has stuck to its stand that the bridge project falls under the category 7(f) of the EIA Notification 2006 and not under the Entry 8(b) of Scheduled to the EIA notification. The PWD, however, could not clearly explain as to what is the area of bridge and just indicated the length of the bridge to be 5.277 km.
“We wanted to know from the PWD as to what is the total area of the construction in sq mtrs., which has not been disclosed by him”, the Tribunal observed.
The Counsel for the Loutolim farmers, who has filed the petition in the NGT, Pune drew attention of the Tribunal that irrespective of whether the bridge under construction is part of the National Highway or the State Highway, if the construction area exceeds 1,50,000 sq mtrs, it is bound to be covered under Entry 8(b) of Schedule to the EIA Notification, 2006.
A group of Loutolim farmers had knocked the doors of the NGT to stay the controversial high level new Borim bridge on grounds that the project is being executed sans the mandatory EIA study. The farmers have feared that building the bridge through the khazan fields will destroy the age old lush green fields.
