THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO: Agitated villagers of Seraulim on Sunday reiterated their demand for the construction of the Western bypass on stilts, raising apprehensions that the village will be submerged if the government tried to bulldoze the project via land filling.
At the gram sabha meeting chaired by Sarpanch Domingos Fernandes, gram sabha members also demanded expediting the railway underpass project at the level crossing.
On the western bypass, gram sabha members warned that the village will be submerged if the government goes ahead with the construction of the western bypass by raising earthen embankments through the wet lands of the village.
Members demanded that the government should take cognizance of the ground reality as the flood plains of the river Sal would be disturbed if the bypass road is taken with land filling. The members conveyed a message to the government and other authorities that the villagers are not opposed to the western bypass, but have been only demanding that the bypass be built on the stilts to prevent flooding and inundation of the low lying areas of the village.
On the traffic snarls at the Railway crossing, members demanded that the government take up the construction of the underpass on a war footing. Members pointing out that they have bene only hearing about the project, but the ground reality has not changed for the better.
Sarpanch Domingos explained the members that the issue has been taken up by Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao with the government and the underpass project has received the necessary clearance from the authorities.
Some of the members further demanded that the existing rail level crossing should not be closed down and should be kept open irrespective of the construction of the underpass. They pointed out that closure of the level crossing will put the villagers to difficulties in respect of funerals and other occasions.
The sarpanch said the Panchayat would write to the authorities for necessary action.
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