560 structures to make way for NH17
Porvorim (40), Siridao (30) to bear the brunt
SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM, JUNE 15
Its official! Almost 40 structures between the Mahindra showroom and the Sai Service station at Porvorim will face the axe when the widening of the NH17 is undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India.
The four-lanning of the NH17 from Patradevi to Polem — around 139 km stretch — will be taken up on BOOT basis at a cost of approximately Rs 2000 crore.
Inquiries by Herald have revealed that according to the new alignment sent by the NHAI around 560 structures across the State will have to make way for the project.
“These 560 structures include around 280 houses”, sources in the PWD told Herald.
Sources also informed that the NHAI has also decided to reduce the width of the road to 45 meters in the densely populated areas and wherever possible to go ahead with 60-m widening.
“Most of the structures would face demolitions in Porvorim and Siridao areas”, sources informed.
While in Porvorim 40 structures including houses as well as buildings will be acquired by NHAI, in Siridao area almost 30 houses and other structures will be demolished for widening, sources said.
“The survey nos of the plots which will be acquired have already been submitted to the Town and Country Planning for the purpose of finalizing Regional Plan 2021,” sources stated.
The citizens of Nuvem, which faced maximum demolitions in the earlier alignment, can heave a sigh of relief as the NHAI has decided to take a bypass, avoiding any kind of demolition in the area.
Officers in the PWD have said that most of the demolitions could have been avoided by the State had it taken caution earlier.
“The PWD had stopped giving permissions to the development within 45 meters on the national highways in the State but despite this the Government had gone on granting permissions,” officials speaking on condition of anonymity said.
Herald in its issued dated September 27, 2009 was first to report that the Government was bending rules and granting permission for development along highway.
The then Superintending Engineer (CO IX) Alka Hede had told this paper that her division does not grant permission to any such projects.
“Whenever such files come to us, we forward them to the Government who decides on the cases,” she had stated.
When contacted for his comment on the development, PWD Chief Engineer J N Chimulkar said he has no knowledge of the matter.
“I have no knowledge and will have to look into the matter,” was what he told this paper.
Not only the Chief Engineer, even the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat feigned ignorance.
“I have not received any communication from NHAI in this regard”, Kamat said when contacted.
He said he had spoken to the NHAI chairman and he has assured to minimise the demolitions as much as possible.
