the goan I network
MARGAO
Finally taking cognizance of the threat posed to the hillock in his backyard and the contamination of the Digaband water body, Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues on Thursday issued instruction to WRD officials to undertake measures to protect the hillock from caving in and decontaminate the Digaband water body.
Accompanied by senior WRD officials, besides Dramapur-Sirlim Sarpanch Sanjana Chari, panchayat members, and representatives of the local comunidade and VDC members, Filipe Neri inspected the two sites and directed the officials to put in place all measures before the next monsoons.
The Minister saw for himself how the soil and sludge coming from the hillock has silted the irrigation canal. Local villagers, including former sarpanch Domnick Noronha explained to the Minister and the officials the threat posed to the hillock due to constant soil erosion, fearing that the hill may just cave in one day. Given that the hillock belongs to the local comunidade body, the government is expected to take the local body into confidence before initiating the restoration work.
Filipe Neri later told The Goan that the WRD has agreed in principle to take up measures to prevent the hillock from collapsing but also restore the Digaband water body.
A senior WRD official informed that the department will not only desilt the heavily silted irrigation canal passing along the hillock, but will take scientific measures to protect the hill from caving in.
As far as Digaband is concerned, the WRD official pointed out that not only the water body will be desilted and restored but the department will install barricades to prevent miscreants from dumping waste in the water body.
The Digaband has been in the news in recent times with animal and other waste finding its way in the water body on the National Highway at Sirlim. Attempts made in the past to stop the waste from finding its way in the bandh had come a cropper for want of measures from the concerned authorities.
