Team Herald
MARGAO: Call it a man-made disaster. South Western Railway’s (SWR) double-tracking project has caused widespread environmental destruction in Issorcim, with residents alleging that unseasonal rain exposed the catastrophic impact of faulty construction methods which left their paddy fields buried under mud and the century-old drainage system in ruins.
It is pertinent to note that Issorcim falls in the Velsao-Pale-Issorcim Panchayat jurisdiction.
According to affected residents, the disaster stems from the Railway authorities destroying the century-old storm water tunnels that were built by British engineers beneath the existing single railway track. These tunnels, the locals say, were connected to an ancient
drainage network that had effectively channelled rainwater from East to West for over a century, preventing landslides and soil erosion in the ecologically-sensitive forest
areas.
They alleged that Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), executing the project for SWR, buried the ecologically tenable drainage system while constructing the second track through what residents describe as “most unprofessional methods”.
When rains arrived, the affected residents claim that the blocked tunnels burst open with tremendous force, unleashing what they estimate to be close to 1,000 truckloads of mud sludge into the valley below, as well the Arabia Sea to the West.
The residents alleged that the worst damage occurred near Guadalupe Chapel, where they say a unique double tunnel system had been completely buried by RVNL contractors. The tunnel has now reopened, but residents report that sludge deposits of at least 40 centimetres where people once walked easily between
both sides.
Bruno Pereira’s paddy fields, along with others belonging to the Pereira family, have now been rendered uncultivable after being buried with mud and debris, the locals claimed. The family, which had rejected possibly one of the highest sums being awarded by Railways for land acquisition, are now fighting an uphill battle to salvage their ancestral land which has become unusable due to these recent developments
“This is totally heartbreaking for me personally as I have seen Bruno Pereira toiling away in these paddy fields last season,” said Orville Dourado Rodrigues, founder of Goencho Ekvott (GE).
According to the locals, “The storm water tunnel erected by the British engineers and which was totally buried in mud by RVNL has ‘opened’ up with the first unseasonal rains with the mud having been washed away to the nearby bay of the Arabian Sea. People used to easily pass on to the other side, but now there is sludge of at least 40 cms.”
Luna Pereira, one of the landowners said he was aghast at the way his native village is being destroyed.
Joao Menino, a prominent ramponkar from Hollant, Issorcim, expressed concern about his future as frequent landslides now threaten his heritage home, located directly behind the double-tracking railway project.
According to residents, RVNL’s belated attempts to manage stormwater at other locations have proved futile, with severe mud erosion continuing at multiple sites. Locals allege the project’s hasty execution through ecologically-sensitive forest areas has not only eliminated crucial green cover but has also destroyed what they describe as “solidly built nullahs” that formed the region’s flood management backbone.
Affected residents claim the mud from the destroyed drainage system has washed into paddy fields below, rendering them uncultivable for at least this season. Some of these fields belong to the Pereiras, sources claimed.
Local environmental activists and residents blame the railway authorities for what they term “unwarranted collateral damage” to their ecosystem, farmlands, and settlement areas.
They alleged that the destruction of the century-old engineering system has left the community vulnerable to future flooding and soil erosion, with no adequate replacement infrastructure provided.
The allegations highlight what locals describe as the consequences when government authorities claim such infrastructure works can proceed with no environmental damage, leaving farmers and residents to bear the cost.