25 Mar 2023  |   05:53am IST

Construction debris recklessly dumped at Patto & ground levelled by “unknown people” at Panjim’s wetland

Dumping done between Merces circle and Heera petrol pump highway stretch, The fragile eco-sensitive area literally raped by with heaps of mud, blocking natural flow; an area that could have been used for riverine tourism and beautified is a mound of dust & filth

ROHAN SHRIVASTAV

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PANJIM: The first line of defence against tidal waves is under threat in Panjim. Construction debris has been indiscriminately dumped allegedly by “unknown persons” along the mangrove wetland between Merces circle and Heera petrol pump highway stretch at Patto Panjim, which has entered the aquatic environment and will prove to be disastrous.

The entire stretch has been levelled using the heaps of dumped construction debris which is now posing a threat to mangroves in an ecologically fragile zone of the capital city. The debris is blocking the natural flow of water in the mangrove area.

The PWD, the custodian of these activities, doesn’t even know who dumped the debris. “We have not dumped debris and we have not levelled the area.  We have just removed debris from there and taken it to a designated landfill site. Debris was dumped by unknown persons,” said Assistant Engineer Pritesh Naik

Environment activist and educator Vishal Rawlley has raised grave concern over the dumping of debris in the wetland of the city.

“Mangroves are our first line of defence against tidal surges. Goa being a coastal state, is very vulnerable to tidal surges,” Rawlley said.

“Especially with climate change and sea level rise, our mangroves give us a natural defence against these threats,” Rawlley explained.

“If you are going to destroy the mangroves and build roads and highways over it, it is the most foolish thing because you are daring nature and nature will reclaim what is it is own. If you try to displace, it will displace you back. Nature is much more powerful than us,” he added.   

The totally stumped forest department has been told by the government to plant palm saplings along the said stretch as part of the lawn development and beautification work at Merces junction, in view of the upcoming G20 Summit. 

However, the forest department officials are in a dilemma as they have no space left for the plantation as the entire stretch is full of debris. “Debris is all over. If we plant palm saplings, they will die in no time and then authorities will blame us. We don’t know what to do now,” the forest official said.

(PWD) Assistant Engineer Pritesh Naik claimed that the debris was dumped by unidentified persons and denied levelling the area.

Naik said that a PWD-appointed contractor has only cleared all the debris and is presently installing crash barriers on the said stretch.