the goan I network
MARGAO
While on one hand the river Sal embankments are sinking right under the nose of the authorities with each passing day on the Benaulim side, no contractor is believed to be inclined to take up emergency remedial works along the river bank till date.
In fact, the Water Resources Department has conveyed to the Collector’s office that no contractor is willing to take up the save river Sal embankment operation during the rains, leaving the district administration in a piquant situation.
After The Goan highlighted how portions of the river Sal have caved since June 20, the District Collector is believed to have spoken to senior WRD officials, only to be told that the remedial works could not be taken up immediately for want of contractors.
This has raised the pertinent question why the disaster management or the WRD did not empanel a list of contractors to carry out works pertaining to disasters and emergencies. When this question was posed to a WRD executive engineer, he sought to blame the district authorities for the same, saying that disaster management could have empaneled the contractors to take up emergency works in the district.
The District Collector said his office is trying to resolve the problem and have told the WRD officials to find out contractors who could be engaged to carry out the urgent works.
Recently, WRD Chief Engineer along with an executive engineer had inspected one of the embankments that caved in. Sadly, however, the remedial measures, are yet to be taken up at the site, with another portion of the embankment giving way on
Monday night.
