Governance is an experiment in learning. Greater the experience, better the governance, provided those who govern apply the knowledge gained, for public good. But that has not been the case in the country, since Independence or in the State, since Liberation.
Some five years ago, the PWD took up the work of linking the four lane road passing through the Electronic City Verna to the Borim Bridge to ease the traffic, to Belgaum and beyond. The road descends from the plateau over a road over-bridge at Angdi in Loutolim and gradually slopes into the Cantor-Carbot, khazan lands. Here a mud-filled embankment about 20 metres broad ranging in height from zero to 15 metres and approximately 200 metres long was built. The sides of the embankment were lined with cement blocks, the types seen everywhere. As the khazans underwent their annual flooding, the waters rose and penetrated the mud-filled road that soon disintegrated and collapsed, just as it was being readied for inauguration. It took a year and additional expense of about Rs 50 crore to remove the mud and reconstruct the road on stilts
The PWD is now in the process of extending the old NH-17 western bypass, from the wholesale fish market Margao through Seraulim, Margao and Benaulim and link it to old NH-17 at Navelim. The stretch from the wholesale fish market to Mungul railway line is being built on stilts following vehement protests by VP Seraulim and Vijai Sardesai the Fatorda MLA. But the link from the railway line via Khareband-Rebod to Navelim is built over a mud filled embankment. Work is being quickly carried out on the more than a kilometre-long embankment, some 40 or more metres wide and five to 15 metres high. The by-pass lies in the flood plains of the River Sal on its west bank, which remain mostly under water in the monsoon period frequently overflowing into settlements. The fear now is that these annual floods may be aggravated by the embankment and other landfill activities.
The topography of Margao has been altered significantly over the last three decades. The lands to the east of the NH as one enters Margao from Nuvem were all low lying paddy fields, which acted as catchment areas during heavy rains. The habitations were thus safe. It was a pattern created over centuries by the inhabitants. These lands have been filled up and the level has been raised by about two metres.
Today, the Sports complex, Ravindra Bhavan, SGPDA complex, KTC bus stand, Collectorate, District Court and the District Hospital occupy the reclaimed paddy fields. The displaced waters move into the Sal, which even otherwise is silted up and overflows its banks with a little rain. To compound the problems the drains leading to the river have been encroached upon and narrowed down, everywhere. To further add to the gridlock, a local school has reclaimed about two hectares for its sports ground and the new bypass is occupying about a quarter more of the flood plain.
The question therefore is, where will the flood waters go? The flood plain is similar to khazan lands. Will the embankments in the flood plains collapse when the waters rise, like the embankments in the khazan lands at Loutolim did? Well, time will tell.
This misadventure was foreseen some 25 years ago by Savio Dias, then a young activist from Maddel. He would regularly protest with banners and even a boat placed in the fields with the legend ‘Margao Floods’ displayed on it. Savio is now a journalist.
Some of the affected residents had sought the intervention of the High Court on the issue. The High Court, not unexpectedly accepted the view of the government experts, that all eventualities have been covered and no flooding will occur and thus overruled the public objections. Today the work on the embankments is progressing at a far greater pace than the work of ‘smart city’ in Panjim.
Once the flow is obstructed, the marauding waters will backup into lower lands, flooding the outlying areas. A major part of Salcete will either remain under waters or will be cut off, until the waters subside. The situation may recur several times, each monsoon. The floods get accentuated when the rains coincide with high tides, as we are generally witness to.
Considering the manner in which governments are run, no amount of protests from MLAs represented by Opposition parties like Vijai Sardesai or Venzy Viegas may be fruitful. On the other hand, the defection of Digambar Kamat from Congress to BJP may yet, prove to be a blessing. As he has publicly confessed, he has direct access to God, who had approved his entry into the BJP. If the BJP does not listen to him, then Digambar has the facility not available to ordinary mortals. He can speak to God and pray to him to prevail on the BJP to abandon the embankment and replace it by a stilt based road! Otherwise, if the embankment is completed, his voters may be camping outside his doorsteps, come the monsoons!
Irrespective, the general public must take note of the power of moving waters. Some three decades ago, a young lawyer was driving home, with his wife in the car. Floodwaters were overflowing and traffic was stalled. In his youthful exuberance and perhaps arrogance, he attempted to drive through the waters but the car was carried off the road, before it halted against a tree, a 100 metres away, to be rescued by the fire-brigade. There should be no repeat performance. Or maybe a modern day Noah could begin the task of building an ark; there still is time for it! But no matter what, we may have to pay a heavy price for such unfriendly tampering with nature.
(Radharao F Gracias is a senior Trial Court Advocate, a former Independent MLA, a political activist, with a reputation for oratory and interests in history
and ornithology)
