VASCO
Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar on Thursday served an ultimatum to Gammon India company to take up work on the drainage and complete the service road of the four-lane port connectivity project before May 20, ahead of the monsoons.
Amonkar along with his wife and Councillor Shraddha Amonkar, Mormugao Municipal Council Chief Officer Jayant Tari, fishermen and residents of Baina had a joint inspection of the service road below the 4-lane port connectivity flyover with officials of Gammon India.
After the inspection, Amonkar also directed Gammon India to use water sprinklers on the incomplete road twice a day to arrest dust pollution.
"Since the last 5 years, residents, the fishing community and councillors have been complaining about lack of drainage in the area but the company has done nothing. The previous drainage system and the pipelines have been buried by the contractor to raise the level of the service road. Houses along the service road are at a lower level and their drainage pipelines have either been choked by mud or have been buried," said Amonkar.
"The service road stretch of 1.5 km is incomplete and causes severe hardships to residents and fishermen, besides causing a lot of dust pollution," said Amonkar.
Amonkar said they had given a time-bound ultimatum to Gammon India officials after the joint inspection in the presence of MMC chief officer, Joint Mamlatdar, MMC officials and representatives of Gammon India.
"Gammon India has now assured us that they will resolve the issue by completing the road along with the drainage system by May 20. They have also assured to sprinkle water using two tankers twice a day to arrest dust pollution.”
“We have also asked Gammon India for a detailed action plan on how they plan to complete the works of the service road and drainage before May 20 and submit it to me and the other officials present for today's inspection.”
Gammon India Commercial Manager R Prabhakaran said they had been given an ultimatum and that, the company would do its level best to get the work done.
"The grievances of people were due to incomplete road that caused dust pollution when heavy sewage vehicles passed near the sewage treatment plant. We have assured to carry out sprinkling of water and complete the service road by May 20.”
“Basically, our first priority was the 4-lane flyover, followed by the loop connection of this flyover to the port and then, the service road below the flyover, which is why work on the service road was pending," explained Prabhakaran.
