MARGAO: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Sunday ruled out construction of a flyover or road on stilts as part of the Western bypass at Nuvem and assured that there will be no water logging in that area.

Speaking to media persons while on a visit to Nuvem Constituency, he said the monsoons this year have exposed the areas where the smooth passage of water is blocked and where the culverts are required to be constructed.

Dr Pramod also stressed on the need to desilt the River Sal in the interest of Goa as the E Coli bacteria found in the water is making even consumption of fish impossible due to health hazards. 

He pointed out that he has already instructed the concerned officials to immediately stop all the sewerage that is being released in the river.

“The water resources minister has taken up the challenge and very soon we shall see the work on River Sal commencing,” he added pointing out that ideally desilting work should start at the mouth of the river where it joins the sea where presently a sand bar formation is hampering the movements of the fishing trawlers.

While assuring that the Environment Impact Assessment study will be undertaken before desilting the river, Dr Sawant opined that after desilting production of clams and oysters will increase.

He also directed the PWD engineers to consult the traffic police and assess the traffic on the route and accordingly develop the junction near Rajee Motors, which will become a mere internal road once the new National Highway is commissioned.

He also asked the officials to see how best the Eastern bypass can be connected the new national highway as it was pointed out that presently there is no provision for the Eastern bypass to be connected to the highway.

Earlier, Dr Sawant asked the Nuvem parish priest to write to the Education Department to hand over two classrooms of the now defunct government primary school, which is in the Fabrica property, and informed that he will get the proposal cleared.

The Chief Minister said the junction at Nuvem Church also needs to be beautified and developed and assured local MLA Wilfred alias Babashan D’Sa that all his works will be done. 

MLA Wilfred gave a long list of three pages of the various works that need to be undertaken by various departments including agriculture, sports, water resources, PWD, electricity, water supply, tourism, health and home.

He also urged the Chief Minister to dispose off the tenancy cases at the village panchayat level and Verna and Majorda-Utorda-Calata panchayats to be brought under the Block Development Officer Salcete from Mormugao.