CURCHOREM: Residents of Curchorem, Tilamol, Quepem and Rivona, under the banner of Mission Bypass, are all set for a rally on Friday to press for the construction of a mining bypass, including a mining corridor.

According to Mission Bypass convener Pradip Kakodkar, the rally will begin at the Custom House and culminate in a meeting at Azad Maidan, which will be addressed by environmentalist Ramesh Gawas and others.

Meanwhile, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral called on Mission Bypass for the second time on Thursday and had a meeting at the Ravindra Bhavan conference hall to find a temporary solution till the issue was solved permanently.

Putting his proposal before them, Cabral said a barricade could be erected after widening the main road from a two lanes to four lanes from Tilamol to Curchorem, and the two internal lanes could be used by mining trucks and outer two lanes by civilians.

When members questioned him about the Rivona-Tilamol road, he suggested a flyover over the existing road.

Earlier, Cabral told them that immediate construction of a mining corridor is not possible due to difficulties in acquiring land, as the assent of many landowners was required.

Assuring to take up the work of the roads from Uguem to Guddemol and Guddemol to Capxem at the earliest, he said that it is not possible at this point to give an assurance on the road from Taak to Shirvoi as the acquisition bill is pending before the Rajya Sabha.

While appreciating Cabral’s suggestion of erecting barricades, Kakodkar said that they are firm on their demand for a bypass road first and then the resumption of mining.

“However, the core committee will meet to discuss the matter and a decision will be taken after informing the public within two days,” said Kakodkar.