CALANGUTE: Candolim Sarpanch Fermino Fernandes has dismissed allegations made by the Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) about CRZ violations in the project of strengthening and renovation of the old ‘bundh’ from Nerul bridge to Candolim church by the Water Resources Department (WRD).
The CCF had recently claimed that mangroves are being destroyed during the ‘bundh’ repairs in violation of the Environment Protection Act.
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The Rs 4.5 crore project involves repairs of the old ‘bundh’ and development of a mangrove walk alongside the Nerul-Sinquerim River with various recreational facilities.
Speaking to mediapersons, Sarpanch Fernandes said there are no violations of the Environment Protection Act.
“We have not increased the height of ‘bundh’. It’s as it was. On the sides we’ve constructed retaining walls. There are no funds to build a new ‘bundh’,” he said.
Referring to the walkway through the mangroves, he said, “It’s being done with tourism activities in mind.”
“We’ve done beautification and a walking track. A lot of people don’t find a place to walk. People are now conscious about walking for health reasons,” he said.
The CCF in a recent complaint to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), Chief Secretary, North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) and other authorities, claimed that the “existing 3.5 metres width of the ‘bundh’ has been expanded to 6-8 metres by doing land filling and destroying the mangroves/biodiversity of the water bodies.”
“The land filling is done on a large scale by covering the water bodies and causing destruction of its biodiversity to expand the width of the existing ‘bundh’ for vehicular movement and in the interest of builder lobby.
“The Department of WRD and their contractors have done blatant violation of Environment Protection Act and destroyed the river biodiversity by cutting mangroves and using concrete for retaining wall,” the CCF had stated in the complaint.
“We request that the project be redesigned on the guidelines of eco-friendly project – mangroves walk carried out at Mala, Panjim, using all eco-friendly material,” they said.
