Inset into the nakedness of the virgin natural surroundings the high-rise Maxem Bridge seems like a technological triumph at first glance from the Galgibaga sandbar. More so when we know that the twin link bridges over Talpona and Galgibaga will piggyback the new NH66 highway cutting short the time to reach Karwar by one hour and also allowing river navigation. We must give due credit for the collective engineering skills as well as the inputs of the thousands of workers who built the 4-lane highway. We must also be unsparing in condemning the shoddy work of the retaining wall which was found tilted after the pre-monsoon showers; the thing smacks of the works of the PWD which usually outsources to the unnamed fly-by-night contractors to do most of their spadework, indeed not without the approval of the concerned minister. Now one wonders if the laterite stone wall that tilted was meant to support the bridge or the compacted porous mass of laterite mud-and-rubble it was holding against.
Digging into reports of the recent past, it is noted that a large river area has been reclaimed and also an embankment scaled down, indiscriminately distorting the landforms that took ages to shape; and this is only a small portion of the 7.74 km 4-lane NH66 highway subject to land change. While the villagers living around the banks and near the bridges remain most vulnerable, PWD engineers have reportedly okayed their own works at different stages of this delayed project stating the fears of the villagers are unfounded.
Fear of the unknown might be a negative thought, a mere intuition; but intuition based on knowledge is valid, so said Einstein once. The villagers have the empirical knowledge through observation of their land and rivers; there are also grave reminders of the recent tragic events; in this case, the landslides, the building collapse and the flash floods with losses to crops, human and animal life. The Kerala flood disaster also has a parallel since Canacona has an identical geomorphological landscape.
The glory of monsoons can be witnessed when springs turn into waterfalls, the wetlands become lakes even as the laterite rocks sit precariously gaping at you gape as you trudge through Cotigao forest. From landslide-prone hilly terrain and through forests the Galgibaga and Talpona snake down until they’re choked at the mouth by sandbars; there’s battle of elemental forces here the wind and the currents driving the mighty sea punching in storm-power into its tidal upstream burst whilst the bloated river gushes downwards with water and soil debris.
In these times, even experts and authorities concerned need to be wary of giving a clear cut opinion. Even if they reflect the will of their political masters, they remain accountable on their own. In that sense it was wise on the part of former GCZMA member to give provisional approval advising government to do a geomorphology study before the NH66 highway project. He not only absolved himself of any blame for any future mishap but showed he was aware of the principle of uncertainty, knowing well that the issue wasn’t just of coastal zone management but fell in the realm of inter-disciplinary study of rivers, oceans, soil science, environment, topography, weather patterns, etc.
The successive governments, despite sufficient time since the project was mooted in the 1980s, ignored the advice and left it to successive PWDs who basically supervise the contractors and take their word for it.
Whilst the CM has given instructions to finish the work soon for the scheduled inauguration of the NH66 bypass next month and as villagers await with great anticipation, it would be prudent on the part of government to remain alert keeping a constant watch and do surveillance with the help of the experts and alert villagers and not rely on PWD supervision alone.
Since the geographical features of the land and river have been substantially altered, there’s always a chance of a butterfly effect anywhere at any point of the entire region given the fragile eco-sensitivity.
The State has now achieved sufficient inter-State connectivity by road, rail, sea and air which in fact doesn’t seem to be sustainable considering the mounting internal problems of traffic congestion, garbage, pollution, crime, joblessness and migration.
Instead of hurrying to further increase the inter-State connectivity left, right and centre to meet the national goals, Goa government must prioritise safe and smooth intra-State connectivity and provide basic amenities and public utilities to the remotest corner of the State.
Tailpiece: The present Chief Minister seems intelligent enough in at least that he has got the handle of one of the State’s most pressing ailments; I just heard him talk about job-skilling the young jobless educated and remodelling certain unsuitable curricula and courses State educational institutions offer and students thoughtlessly pursue. He said he’s got plans to change all that.
