MARGAO
Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd has agreed to restore the water bodies and sluice gates damaged during the track doubling work in Guirdolim village. The Water Resources Department has prepared estimates for the restoration work which work out to Rs 2.98 crore. RVNL said the Railways will take up the work and deposit the amount with the WRD
An estimate of Rs 2.98 lakh has been prepared by the Water Resources Department for the restoration work, including re-establishing the water nullah and the sluice gates. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd general manager SB Sahoo said the Railways has agreed in principle to take up the restoration work and will deposit the amount with the WRD to execute the work on priority.
“The WRD has prepared the estimates for the restoration work. My office is forwarding the estimates to the head office (Railways) for sanction”, Sahoo said.
He added: “The Railways has agreed for restoration of the water nullah admeasuring around 390 meters on one side of the track and another 60 meters on the other side. The work includes restoration of the water bodies and the sluice gates”.
Additional Collector (South Goa) Sanjit Rodrigues on Friday conducted a review of the steps taken for restoration of the water bodies and sluice gates at Guirdolim. The meeting was attended by WRD Executive Engineer Ankush Gaonkar and RVNL official.
Ankush Gaonkar said the WRD would soon float a tender to execute the work for restoration of the water bodies after the Railway deposits the money. “The RVNL has agreed to foot the cost of the restoration work. We will execute the work as a depository work”, he added.
The WRD executive engineer had set in motion on February 2 the process by sending a notice to RVNL General Manager SB Sahooto to stop the work, with a further direction to show cause within a week why action should not be initiated against him under the provisions of the Goa Irrigation Act, 1973 and under rule 1975.
A detailed site inspection report compiled by Gaonkar later nailed the Railways over the work executed at Guirdolim. The report submitted to the South Goa district Collector categorically states that some of the water bodies have been damaged due to construction of the track doubling work. The report had further stated that some of the water bodies were likely to be affected, directly or indirectly, because of the work.
While recommending restoration of the water bodies, including protective measures, the report was clear in saying the nullah connecting the tributary of River Zuari has been damaged and needs to be reconstructed. The (two) damaged sluice gates are to be reconstructed along with the connecting outlet,” the WRD had reported.
