MARGAO
Before one could see any major positive change in the condition of the river Sal, there was a change in guard with Manohar Parrikar assuming the office of Country’s Defense Minister.
In January 19, 2016, Parrikar’s successor Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar saw from close quarters the state of river when he along with Saxtti MLAs Avertano Furtado, Benjamin Silva and Caitu Silva and officials inspected the river in a speed boat. In fact, the speed boat carrying the VVIPs could not reach the Khareband bridge as a thick carpet of the water hyacinth weed came in the way of the delegation inspecting the entire river stretch, leaving the Chief Minister to cut short the inspection.
He told the media after returning back to Sinquetim that he has never seen a “worse” river like that of River Sal in his life.
Parsekar went to the extent of saying the condition of the river was like a migrant slum along the course. “I have never seen such a worse river. “At some places, it resembles a hutment slum”, Parsekar had stated, wondering why successive governments did not take up the rejuvenation of the river when Salcete has been the power house over the years.
Captain of Ports, Capt James Braganza and his senior Hydrographic surveyor Sagar Rai accompanying the Chief Minister had then told the media that the government would take up work of de-silting and trimming of mangroves all along the six-km route, from Khareband bridge to the Telaulim-Varca bridge, estimated to cost around Rs 3.76 crore.
