Fifty years of misery will end when thebridge across the Netravali touches the banks on the other side sometime nextyear. Following a promise made by the Chief Minister, the tender will befloated shortly and work on the 3.36 crore project will commence shortly.
The years leading to this happy turn ofaffairs however have been one of misery and an abject reflection on the perilsof backing the wrong horse. Politicalpettiness ensured that the village did not have a road connecting it to Sanguemtown, houses that went dark after seven and no bridge over the river.
“The bridge was not constructed because ourMLA was in the opposition for ten years” said Shashikant Gaonkar, Sarpanch ofthe Netravali village panchayat. The river which is 50 meters wide wouldoverflow during the monsoons causing great hardship to the residents.
During the monsoon the villagers wouldconstruct a bridge made of beetle nut every year. This would be used by thepeople to conduct all their daily activities.
The village has nearly 10-15 houses with apopulation of over a 100 residing in the village. “We were the victims ofpolitics” says Panch member who belongs to the Karkiwadi village. ShashikantGaonkar sarpanch of the Netravali said that for ten years the panchayat was withthe BJP, “Digamber Kamat former chief minister requested me to join theCongress and this situation is the result of my refusal.” Gaonkar told to thisnewspaper.
Mr. Gonkar said the proposal for the bridgewould always get stuck at the finance department. Now with the promise by thepresent CM, the residents of this 100 year old village have much to celebrate.
SALMONA HAS LOST ITS SPRING
The Salmona spring is dead. We have killed it. A water resource born out of run offs from the Pilerne Plateau and spot for cleansing baths has become dangerously polluted, affecting the ground water and the health and lives of those who live around it. It’s a tragic story. Putrid water from dumped unsegregated garbage has been polluting the Salmona spring for over two decades. A local resident, Mario Mascarenhas said the foul smell from the dump had spread over the villages…
