MARGAO
Former Guirdolim Sarpanch Agostinho Antao on Friday asserted that acquisition of any land does not give any licence to the Railways to bury rivulets and traditional water bodies.
Asserting that the Railways have filled a rivulet of River Zuari with construction debris, Antao said if the Railways have acquired any land for development, the agency ought to have built a bridge instead of burying a rivulet in the village.
Questioning the intention of the Railways to build a road running parallel to the tracks, connecting to the river Kushavati, Antao said the road is being built on a stretch where there is no human habitation, only raising fears whether the road is being laid to link it to the river Kushavati for coal transportation in the future.
“Our foremost demand with the Railways is to get the mud and debris removed from the rivulet and restore the water body to its original condition. The river should be maintained as per the original condition. If they want development, let the Railways build a bridge instead of burying a rivulet to lay the double track,” he added.
