PANAJI
The health minister on Wednesday stated the damaged Paikul bridge in Sattari would be rebuilt within 9-12 months and added that work to restore water supply through an underground pipeline is in progress on high priority.
The minister had taken note of threats by locals of the Shel-Melauli area in Sattari to stage an agitation to demand proper water supply, a proper road and a bridge in the area.
They had claimed that the Paikul bridge had collapsed due to floods on July 23 and 24, which also ruptured the pipeline providing water supply to their area.
The minister said he had chaired a meeting with Guleli Panchayat members Asmita Melekar and Vithal Kaskar and officials from GSIDC and PWD to discuss the rebuilding of the Paikul bridge.
“The estimate of the bridge has now gone up from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 12.5 crore due to increase in height of the bridge. Sidewalks will also be added to the bridge. The same has been approved, and the project will be tendered next week. The bridge will be completed in the next 9-12 months,” he said.
The health minister also met PWD officials on the water supply issue in Shel-Melauli and surrounding areas.
“In view of the washing away of the bridge due to the recent flood, the pipeline has been affected which is connected to the water treatment plant. As approved by PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar, work to restore water supply has already begun on a high priority basis.”
“We intend to finish the project before Ganesh Chaturthi. The pipeline will be moved underground which was earlier over the bridge,” he added.
Locals have complained of drinking water problems in Shel-Melauli and have been relying only on water tankers for nearly a month.
They claimed that water tankers were unable to provide sufficient water supply and their problems were not resolved at the Valpoi Water Supply office, prompting them to threaten an agitation by blocking the main Valpoi-Ponda road at Guleli.
