People fear that filling of wetlands will lead to flooding
GUILHERME ALMEIDA
MARGAO
He was aware of the demands raised by Benaulim and Seraulim villagers to construct the bypass on stilts passing through the two villages, on grounds that filling of the wetlands would trigger floods during the monsoon. Parrikar had even issued instructions to the PWD NH-17 officials to go slow on the contentious three-kilometer stretch at least till the Assembly election, promising officials to work out a solution to the imbroglio - whether to construct the bypass on stilts or land filling.
With curtains coming down on the 2017 Assembly election and Parrikar returning back to head the new BJP-led government in the State, one question doing the rounds in the corridors of the PWD, NH is whether the Chief Minister will intervene and take a firm call on the three-km stretch of the bypass between Benaulim and Seraulim.
Social activists too are keeping their fingers crossed, anxious to know whether Parrikar will use his good offices with the Modi government at the Centre to get the required funds to build the bypass on stilts and save the wet lands and the local populace from destruction during monsoons.
Says activist Abhijit Prabhudesai, “The government should understand that they are building the western bypass through the flood plains of Salcete. Land filing has been undertaken right along the banks of River Sal, the life line of Salcete. Human habitation along the river banks will face destruction if the river banks are filled.”
Aam Admi Party leader and activist, Sidharth Karapurkar echoed similar sentiments. He claimed that the government under the guise of a bypass is constructing an Expressway to connect Canacona to Pernem ahead of the commissioning of the Mopa airport. “Why is the government bulldozing its way to construct a bypass with a 60-meter width. Is it to facilitate the builders lobby and to connect North-South ahead of Mopa airport commissioning,” Karapurkar demanded to know.
When The Goan team visited Navelim village on Friday, they came across land filing right through the once picturesque Salpem Lake, the home for many migratory birds. Incidentally, last year, the government had promised that the people’s demand for a bypass on stilts will be considered positively by the government.
Says a senior PWD, NH official, “We are confused how to go about the work on the three-km stretch. While work is going on along the 11.9 km stretch, we are awaiting instructions on work on the Benaulim-Seraulim stretch.”
PWD officials are indeed in a quandary with their plea for police protection has gone abegging, leaving them a confused lot, but are now pinning hopes on the new Chief Minister to break the impasse.
