Team Herald
MARGAO: The flying squad refused to inspect the filling of Kushawati river at Chandor only because the work is undertaken by a government agency and the operator said if the matter is serious it could be taken up on Monday.
While the railway authorities assert that they have commenced work only in railway property, the Quepem Mamlatdar has in a report clearly stated that the railways have encroached on a private property and damaged it.
It may be recalled that residents of Chandor were aghast to discover that the South Western Railways has actually halved the width of the Kushawati River by constructing mud roads leading into the river from Chandor and on the opposite side from Assolda.
The roads are reportedly constructed to transport machinery and material to do the piling work for two pillars that will come up in the middle of the river for the new bridge that is being constructed as part of the double tracking of the railway line.
However, the flow of the water is adversely affected as it is blocked and channelized through a narrow outlet making people fear that during the monsoons the whole area could get flooded. People are not willing to accept Railways assurance that the work would be completed before the onset of monsoons.
Chandor Cavorim Sarpanch who inspected the site with panchayat members and the secretary has called the engineer of the contractor to the panchayat office on Saturday to explain the situation and how they would protect the people in case of any eventuality.
“This area gets flooded even otherwise during the monsoons and if the width of the river is reduced like this, one can well imagine our plight during the monsoons,” said Mafaldina Martins one of the panchayat members.
Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd Engineer Sahoo while assuring that the mud would be removed before the onset of monsoons asserted that the work being carried out presently is only in the land already belonging to the railways.
and admitted that the land acquisition process for double tracking the railway track is not completed.
However, following a complaint from Raut Desai brothers in December last year the Deputy Collector had sought for a report. The Quepem Mamlatdar vide his letter dated January 17, 2018 has clearly stated that the railways have trespassed into the property of the Raut Desai brothers and also observed that the railways have dumped mud in Kushawati river at the railway bridge and blocked flow of the water passing.
PRO of the contractor who called on the Chandor Cavorim Sarpanch along with the project coordinator also assured that the mud would be removed before monsoons and even assured to give it in writing. He also promised to get officials of the South Western Railways to meet the Sarpanch next week.
A visit to the site also indicates that the railways have cut quite a bit of trees including thick acacia trees. But what is galling is that some mangroves have been cut and others have been buried under the mud dumped to prepare the roads on both sides of the river to approach the site where the pillars will come up for which the piling work will be done first.
