MARGAO
Residents of Madel and Mungul on Thursday demanded that the PWD put in place a drainage system before the next monsoons to avert large scale inundation of the areas due to the land filling carried out along the Seraulim-Mungul stretch of the Western bypass.
PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar later issued strict instructions to the PWD officials to put cross drainages along the stretch and ensure free movement of rain water into the river Sal.
While senior PWD officials maintained that the land filling is being undertaken to transport heavy machinery to build the bypass on the elevated road, even promising to remove the mud after the construction, local residents led by the Fatorda MLA demanded that the PWD put cross drainages along the Seraulim-Mungul stretch to prevent flooding during monsoons.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira, Ward councillor Francis Joanes, former Chairperson Pooja Naik all descended at the bypass construction site along with the local MLA to demand a drainage system when work on the bypass is taken up in the immediate future.
Sardesai pointed out to the PWD Minister that the residents welcome the recommendation made by the 10-member NGT-appointed panel of experts to build 980 metres of the bypass on stilts. He, however, raised his concern that the land filling of the alignment will block free movement of rain water during the monsoon, resulting in inundation of the villages.
“We welcome the NGT-appointed panel recommendation to build the bypass on stilts at a stretch of around 980 metres. This has also been our demand from the beginning. But, the locals now have genuine apprehensions that parts of Madel and Mungul will be inundated with rain water if cross drainages are built along the 980 metre stretch,” he said.
The PWD Minister shared the concerns raised by the Fatorda MLA and the local residents and directed the officials to propose cross drainage before the monsoon. He also directed the officials to ensure that the mud dumped along the 980 metres is completely lifted away after the completion of the work.
“The PWD is doing the land filling to pave way for transportation of machinery to build the elevated road at the 980 metre stretch. Since the mud filling will block the movement of water, it has been decided to put cross drainage before the monsoons along the stretch,” he said.
