MARGAO
The monsoons have retreated and work has finally resumed on the Rs 210 crore Margao Western bypass, but one crucial question that remains unanswered is “ whether the Union Surface Transport Ministry will yield to the demands of the residents of Navelim and Benaulim for a flyover over the flood-prone areas along the banks of River Sal.
This question has assumed significance with work progressing in full steam along the bypass alignment, but there’s no noticeable activity along the flood-prone stretch that runs across the
Tolleaband lake in Benaulim towards the Mungul railway tracks on the western side of river Sal
and the Salpem lake area around Nagmodem in Navelim village.
While officials of PWD, NH-17 have been tight-lipped over the question of constructing a flyover on stilts over the flood-prone areas of Benaulim and Navelim, the two locals MLAs, Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtadao and his Benaulim counterpart Caitu Silva, have pinned their hopes on 'Raksha Mantri' Manohar Parrikar, hoping that an amicable will be worked out to the satisfaction of the local residents of the two villages.
During a visit to the alignment of the western bypass, The Goan team came across land filling and
levelling activity that was is underway along the Nuvem stretch. However, the bypass appeared to have almost reached a dead-end behind the alignment passing behind the residence of Fatorda MLA
Vijai Sardesai.
While work of land filling, compacting and erection of stones stands completed along the stretch
from Nuvem towards Margao, the alignment has hit a dead-end metres away from Sardesai’s
residence.
Local PWD, NH-17 officials were not willing to shed light on why the bypass work has come to a
stop before Mungul and whether it has any connection with plans to build the bypass passing
through the flood-prone areas on stilts.
When The Goan called up Chief Engineer, NH-17, U Parsekar, to shed light on the status of the western bypass vis-Ã -vis construction of the bypass on stilts along the flood-prone areas, he
replied saying no decision has yet been taken on the contentious issue.
“The state government has to first recommend construction of the bypass on stilts in the problematic areas. We are still studying the issue. It’s only after the government takes a call that the state will forward a proposal to the Union Surface Transport Ministry for consideration and for allocation of additional funds,” Parsekar added.
He, however, asserted that the PWD is yet to take a call on how to go about the bypass work
along the flood-prone areas on the banks of River Sal.
The two legislators, Navelim MLA Avertano Furtado and Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva appeared
confident that the government will see reason and concede the demands of the villagers to
construct the bypass on stilts. Caitu, in particular, maintained that he requested Defence Minister,
Manohar Parrikar to intervene and take up the issue with the Centre for additional funds to build
the bypass on stilts.
“I have requested Parrikar to construct the bypass on stilts across a stretch running into three kms passing through Benaulim constituency. I am confident that the government will see the ground reality and take a call,” Caitu remarked.
Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado said that while work on the Telaulim stretch is underway, land filling on the Nagmodem-River Sal stretch has not resumed till date after his intervention with the government to build a flyover on this stretch. “I have made a strong case before the government for a bypass on stilts along the stretch passing through Salpem lake and up to the River Sal,” he said.
A visit to Nagmodem has revealed that no fresh land filling has taken place in and around the Salpem lake area, indicating that the government is yet to take a firm call on how to go about work
on the bypass from Nagmodem-Navelim to Benaulim village.
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TAKING THE 'HIGH' ROAD?
- No activity being carried out along flood-prone stretch along Tolleaband lake in Benaulim towards Mungul railway tracks on western side of river Sal and Salpem lake area around Nagmodem in Navelim village
- However, work of land filling, compacting and erection of stones along stretch from Nuvem towards Margao is complete
- But there is no official word whether the government is considering a flyover in the flood-prone areas
