MARGAO: Does the government or for that matter, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar or TCP Minister Vijai Sardessai require any more evidence that the construction of the western bypass by filling land will inundate the flood plains of Seraulim, Mungul, Benaulim and Khareband?
If the government isn’t yet convinced about the sustained agitation by the residents of Benaulim, Seraulim or Mungul to build the bypass on stilts, these ministers should take the trouble of taking a glance at the 19-page report containing the Action Plan to avoid flooding in flood prone areas of Salcete taluka. This report, incidentally, was compiled by a panel headed by former Sub-Divisional Magistrate and deputy collector, Margao Sanjit Rodrigues, with a clear recommendation that the government give a “second thought” to the project on the ground that the vast low lying areas from Ambaji, Seraulim, Pedda areas serve as a vast efflux for storm water as well as well silting basin.
Though this recommendation was made by the Panel around 18 years ago after Margao and the surrounding areas of Salcete were inundated by floods, the 2000 report seemed to have been either ignored or forgotten by various government authorities with the passage of time.
What’s interesting to note is the bitter fact that while the Executive engineer, PWD, Roads, Executive engineer, WRD, Executive Engineer, PWD, besides SGPDA Member Secretary and Margao Municipal Council were all members of the high level committee, they all seemed to have turned a blind eye to the government’s plan to bulldoze the western bypass through the 3.5 km stretch passing through the wet lands and low lying areas of Mungul, Seraulim and Benaulim.
In the report, the Sanjit Rodrigues headed panel had come clear that major developments in these areas should be considered with abundant caution. And, the panel had pointed a case in point about the then controversy regarding the vast filling which has been carried out at Pedda, Benaulim.
As far as the western bypass was concerned, the panel had observed “another development is the proposed western bypass road to NH 17 from Nuvem to Navelim, which will cut a road across this drainage and should involve a massive provision of cross drainage, including causeway section if it should not pose a major problem.”
And, the panel had recommended a second thought regarding this project. And, instead the panel had asserted that the required bypass to Margao could be achieved, if required by four-laning the Eastern bypass road part of which is constructed,” questioning the rationale of having the western bypass passing through the wet lands when the government had already initiated the process of building the Eastern bypass.
Sources in the know informed that while the authorities had initiated a host of flood relief measures in some parts of Salcete, including Margao, as per the Panel’s observations and reservations, the authorities, including the National Highways is believed to have never lodged its objections to the bypass passing through the low lying fields.
Residents of Seraulim, Benaulim and Mungul have repeatedly rejected the construction of the western bypass via land filling. Instead, the residents have demanded the bypass be built on stilts -- a demand which has not yet found favour with the government and the National Highway Authority.
At the last meeting with the agitating villagers and local MLA Churchill Alemao, PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar had promised to take up the demand for the bypass on stilts with Union Surface Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari. The villagers wait with bated breath over the Centre’s decision on their demand.
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PUBLIC DEMAND
* Build bypass on stilts to prevent its inundation
STATE GOVT STEP
* Starts construction passing through low lying fields
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PANEL REPORT & RECOMMENDATIONS
* Another development is the proposed Western bypass road to NH 17 from Nuvem to Navelim which will cut a road across this drainage pass ...
* ... and should involve a massive provision of cross drainage including causeway section if it should not pose a major problem
* A second thought is recommended regarding this project and instead the required bypass to Margao could be achieved, if required by four-laning the Eastern bypass road
