MARGAO
Members of the Seraulim gram sabha on Sunday demanded a temporary pause on multi-dwelling projects in the village till a rapid carrying capacity assessment covering traffic, water availability, sewage, and power distribution is commissioned for the village.
The Seraulim panchayat has proposed a footbridge cum two-wheeler bridge over the Konkan railway tracks to streamline vehicular traffic when the railway crossing is shut for traffic, with the road underpass project remaining waterlogged for most part of the year, disrupting vehicular traffic.
At the Sunday gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Seema Shanke, the proposed, passed at the panchayat body meeting was placed before the gram sabha for a decision, gram sabha member Kevin D’Souza pointed out that the carrying-capacity of the village appears exhausted—road congestion, drinking water shortages, and electricity supply strains are affecting residents.
He proposed the commissioning of a rapid carrying capacity assessment covering traffic, water availability, sewage, and power distribution.
Till such the carrying-capacity is not commissioned and completed, Kevin has called for a temporary pause for approvals for new multi dwelling developments.
The garbage issue also figured prominently at the gram sabha, with members demanding intensification of roadside garbage surveillance.
Saying the persistent roadside garbage disposal has compromised cleanliness and public health, it was proposed to deploy surveillance at identified black spots; publish clear penalties and initiate enforcement against repeat offenders.
It was further suggested to run a short awareness drive (schools, market areas, local associations) with designated collection points and timings.
Gram sabha members also demanded that the panchayat expedite the long awaited Panchayat Ghar project. They requested the sarpanch to share the latest status (tendering/works in progress), budget, and expected completion timeline; identify bottlenecks and assign a single point of contact for weekly progress tracking.
Gram sabha member Kevin D’Souza also raised the issue of contamination of the creek water used for irrigating paddy fields, claiming that even buffaloes avoid drinking it.
He has called upon the authorities such as the Water Resources Department, Goa State Pollution Control Board to conduct water quality testing by the competent authority to cover BOD, COD, coliforms, heavy metals, and pesticides.
He also demanded that the authorities trace the pollution sources (household/ industrial effluent, agricultural runoff) and initiate corrective measures.
