MARGAO
In a development that is seen as an attempt to address the concerns raised by the villagers on track-doubling projects, officials of the Railways and the Water Resources Department descended on Guirdolim village on Tuesday to work out a solution to
the issues.
Sources informed that the officials demarcated the land in question where the Railways has undertaken work on filling of land for laying the second track. The officials also inspected the rivulet which has been buried by the construction debris and the sluice gate left damaged by the ongoing work.
Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd General Manager (Projects), Sahoo, along with his OSD John Shilshi and other officials led the delegation of the Railways for the inspection. Water Resources Department (WRD) Executive Officer and Canal Officer, Ankush Gaonkar, led the WRD team at the joint inspection which was arranged after both sides stuck to their respective stands vis-Ã -vis the land in question and filing up of the water body.
The RVNL officials also produced the NOCs the Railways has obtained from the landowners before commencing work on the land in question.
Sahoo told The Goan after the inspection that both sides agreed on certain things on how to go about the work. He said the RVNL has agreed to build the retaining wall on one side of the water body, while the WRD will take up the work on the water body on the other side.
He, however, said the RVNL will wait for a report from the WRD on the inspection before undertaking the work.
WRD EE, Ankush Gaonkar, said the WRD will move a proposal for the repair of the sluice gate, which is lying damaged because of the construction work.
The RVNL and the WRD had come face to face over a week ago after the villagers bitterly complained over the filing up of a rivulet and the damage caused to an adjoining sluice gate. As the villagers were demanding strict action in the matter, the WRD responded by issuing a stop-work order-cum-show-cause notice to the RVNL under the Goa Irrigation Act to stop all work on the construction work till the issues at hand are addressed.
The RVNL, however, invoked the provisions of the Railway Act to reject the contention of the WRD, even going to the extent of citing the powers enjoyed by the Railways involving rivers and rivulets.
