the goan I network
PANAJI
The Government of Goa, in a notification issued on Thursday has identified thirteen locations along highways and state roads where land is available and has been acquired for road widening, but has still not been utilized for the purpose, a move which will serve to legalise dumping of construction debris along highways.
The notification, which comes on the back of prodding by the Bombay High Court at Goa, directs that generators of construction waste can dump in these areas “with prior intimation to the concerned (PWD) Assistant Engineer.”
In North Goa, areas identified include the Right Hand Side of the existing Ribandar Bypass between Merces and Chimbel as well as the right hand side of the existing Mapusa bypass between Hotel Green Park and Carraswado in Mapusa as well as in South Goa along NH 17 between Nagoa and Verna on the right hand side of the Verna bypass.
What the notification does not specify is ‘right hand side from which direction, leaving a possible loophole for generators of construction debris to continue indiscriminate dumping on both sides of the highway as is currently the practice in the two above mentioned areas and was the initial cause of action for the petitions before the High Court.
The notification issued by Uttam Parsekar, the Principal Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department has identified other areas including along NH 17 from Nuvem to Navelim along the acquired Margao bypass, along NH4A along the Khandepar bypass, along NH 17 between Chaudi to Talpona along the acquired Talpona bypass all in South Goa.
Other areas include on the land acquired for NH17B from Varunapuri to Baina at Sada, along NH17B from the entry junction to the end of IDC jurisdiction along the Loutolim side, NH17 between Pernem to Dhargal along the Naibag realignment between Panaji and Bambolim near the Durgawadi junction.
Besides these, areas along the state highways have also been recognised including SH 1 along the acquired land for the Bicholim bypass between Bordem to Bicholim as well as Sirsaim to Assonora at the Shirgao junction.
The notification warns that such dumping and disposal cannot be detrimental to the road and must abide by the provisions of environmental safety, road safety and pollution control and that the dumpers will have an obligation to ensure that only construction debris is allowed and not any garbage/obnoxious materials.
“The government reserves the right to discontinue the dumping at a particular location if need be and if it is creating a nuisance,” Parsekar states in his notification.
Earlier the Bombay High Court at Goa took offence to the “dismal state of affairs” with regard to a policy for dumping construction waste.
“We are shocked at the dismal state of affairs,” the court observed after perusing replies filed by several municipal councils and village panchayats.
“The reading of these Reports gave us an impression that the authorities are in a state of denial that a problem exists. There is a complete failure to evolve any lasting solution to the problem of construction debris almost all over the State of Goa in spite of the orders passed by this Court almost a decade ago. There is utter failure to adhere to the directions of this Court in respect of the issue of construction debris. We fail to understand that why it should come to this that the Court has to issue directions on such a basic facet of governance. Even a casual visitor to the State can see mounds of the rubble of construction debris lying all over,” the court observed.
