MARGAO: The agitation against the western bypass land filling intensified as people including farmers from Benaulim, Seraulim, besides Navelim, Colva held a protest and demanded to build it on stilts, on Saturday.
On the other hand, the contractor appointed by the Public Works Department was seen filling the low lying areas, and water bodies with mud, which is heading towards major flooding in the coming monsoon, and destruction to the environment.
Police force was also noticed at the site in order to avoid law and order situation.
Nearly 100 residents, including few environmentalists and social workers, besides Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, and AAP leader Adv Amit Palekar protested against the ongoing work of land filling.
People have said that the government is destroying the environment and future of the next generation only to save the Rs 170 crore, which is an extra amount if this stretch of western bypass is built on stilts.
Speaking to the media persons, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas expressed disappointment with the PWD for carrying out the work at the weekend, and not giving fair opportunity to the people to approach the court.
“The work to fill the water bodies and agricultural fields has commenced over here in order to continue with the ongoing work of constructing western bypass. Farmers have cultivated their fields,” Viegas said.
He further said that the entire plan of western bypass has not been done in a proper manner.
“The concerned department should have taken into consideration the 100 years floods. Anything we are doing, we should keep in mind the future generation, but there was no proper thinking on this matter pertaining to western bypass project,” the MLA said.
He also said that there was no political will in the past with regard to the same.
“It seems that the water bodies and fields will be under the mud by the time we approach the court. We have plans to appeal before the Supreme Court, but we are expecting that the petitioner who has filed a case before the National Green Tribunal should first make a move towards this issue,” Venzy said.
The MLA also declared his support to the petitioner Royla Fernandes and said he is helpless at this stage.
“At the moment we can witness destruction of the environment in the name of development, and hence the High Court should have shown some courtesy to look into the matter in order to find out the ground reality,” he added.
Adv Amit Palekar said, “It is not too late to agitate for demanding the western bypass project on the stilts.”
“The project was delayed because of the government and in order to cover up, they engaged in destroying the environment. Taking into consideration the entire alignment it looks like it has been done to save some private interests earlier. Doing work on the weekend is something unfortunate,” he stated.
Adv Palekar further said that the government should have been pro-people, as the destruction to the environment, besides water bodies and agricultural fields should have been avoided.
