The proposed NH66 flyover at Dandeavaddo has faced sustained opposition from local residents.
MARGAO
In a significant development, the Village Panchayat of Chinchinim-Deussua has issued a stop-work notice to the Public Works Department (PWD), National Highways Division, Goa, directing it to immediately suspend all ongoing and further work relating to the NH66 project at Dandeavaddo until the proposed plans and alignment are discussed with the Panchayat, affected residents and all concerned stakeholders.
The Chinchinim Panchayat and residents of Dandeavaddo have been engaged in a sustained campaign demanding a road bypass at Dandeavaddo instead of the proposed flyover. Despite repeated representations and meetings with various authorities, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, their demand has remained unfulfilled.
In the notice addressed to the Executive Engineer, PWD National Highways, Sarpanch Gerson Gomes pointed out that the diagrams, plans and proposed alignment of the flyover project had neither been discussed with nor presented to the panchayat, the residents of Dandeavaddo or other concerned stakeholders.
The Sarpanch stated that the project was of considerable public importance as it would directly affect the residents of Dandeavaddo, their properties, access roads and other local infrastructure.
He emphasised that the proposed diagrams, plans and project details must first be placed before the panchayat, affected villagers and stakeholders for discussion and clarification.
Proceeding with the execution of the project without prior consultation, he warned, could lead to serious concerns and objections from the local community.
“In view of the above, the Village Panchayat Chinchinim-Deussua issues this notice requesting your department to immediately stop and suspend all ongoing and further work relating to the NH66 Bypass Project at Dandeavaddo until the matter is discussed in detail with the Village Panchayat, the villagers of Dandeavaddo and all concerned stakeholders,” the notice stated.
The panchayat has also urged the PWD Executive Engineer to convene a joint meeting at the earliest to present and explain the proposed diagrams, plans and alignment of the project. It has called for the views, suggestions and objections of the Panchayat, villagers and other stakeholders to be duly considered before any further work is undertaken.
The notice further called upon the department to take immediate cognisance of the matter and ensure that no further work is carried out until the proposed discussions are held and the concerns of the local community are addressed. The issue, it said, should be treated as urgent and of public importance.
Explaining the reasons behind the panchayat's decision to issue the stop-work notice, Sarpanch Gomes said the panchayat was left with little choice after the government failed to address the residents' long-pending demand for a road bypass at Dandeavaddo.
He pointed out that although Chief Minister Sawant had assured the villagers that the project would be reviewed, and a communication from the office of the Chief Engineer, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, Belapur, Maharashtra, had assured them that the matter would be examined, the residents' demand for a bypass had still not been considered.
Gomes also said the government had not yet presented the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the villagers. In the absence of a detailed presentation, residents remained unclear about how the government proposed to execute the flyover at Dandeavaddo, he said.
The Sarpanch reiterated that the panchayat and residents were not opposed to development but wanted the concerns of the affected community to be heard and their demand for a road bypass to be seriously considered before the project moved ahead.
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15-year wait continues as bypass hopes fade amid flyover plans
MARGAO: Residents of Dandeavaddo-Chinchinim have been fighting a sustained 15-year battle for a bypass on National Highway 66 (NH66), seeking relief from the hardships and inconveniences they have endured since their land was acquired for the highway's widening.
The demand for a bypass dates back to the time when the expansion of the then NH17, now NH66, was first proposed nearly 15 years ago. During the preparation of the proposed alignments, local residents had even suggested an alternative bypass route to the Central Government-appointed consultant.
Sympathetic to the concerns raised by the two groups, Parrikar had reportedly directed the consultant to prepare three alternative alignments, assuring residents that the most suitable option would be selected and implemented by the Public Works Department (PWD), National Highways.
However, much to the disappointment of Chinchinim residents, the present dispensation eventually rejected their demand for a bypass and instead sanctioned a flyover through Dandeavaddo.
Since then, residents have been making repeated representations to the authorities, pressing for a road bypass in place of the proposed flyover. They maintain that a bypass would provide a more effective solution to the long-standing hardships faced by the local population.
In an effort to facilitate the proposed bypass, the village panchayat had also secured No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the respective comunidade bodies to enable land acquisition for the project. Despite these efforts, the demand has remained unfulfilled, leaving residents to continue their struggle for a solution to the problems they have faced for over a decade.
