Team Herald
MARGAO: The railway authorities on Wednesday assured the villagers of Mollo in Pale, Velsao, that none of their homes would be demolished during the construction work being carried out along the train tracks. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has also agreed to put on hold the work near the houses till a land survey is done to properly demarcate the area for construction near the tracks and provide adequate compensation if necessary.
This comes as a huge relief for the villagers, as they had feared their homes would be demolished in the railway construction work.
These decisions were taken at an emergency meeting convened at the South Goa District Collectorate in the presence of the District Collector Egna Cleetus, Additional Collector Srinet Kothwale, RVNL and government officials, South Goa MP Capt Viriato Fernandes, Velsao sarpanch Diana Gouveia, Goencho Ekvott founder Orville Dourado Rodrigues, secretary Olencio Simoes and the affected villagers.
It was decided to have the next inspection on November 12, when the demarcation exercise would be carried out. As per the MP’s request, it was agreed that a surveyor from the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) will also remain present.
Capt Viriato pointed out that the marking by the RVNL contractor had been shifted and came very close to the houses of the locals and this had to be corrected.
He added that it was important to find out who owns what land by the tracks, not just for the houses that are affected, but in the surrounding area of Mollo as well.
The MP also said that the construction of a retaining wall has resulted in several houses getting landlocked, and the RVNL agreed that adequate access space will be left , as the people are dependent on this path for movement.
Capt Viriato said that it was important for the locals to be part of the meeting and it was agreed that other smaller grievances of locals would also be addressed by the government authorities.
Another point that was raised by the sarpanch was the damage caused to the drainage system in the village due to the construction work carried out by the Railways.
Gouveia demanded that the Railways ensure that these drainages are repaired, maintained and that there is no blocking of water channels and the nullahs, which happened during last monsoon, leading to massive water logging in those areas.
As per the Additional Collector’s instructions, it was decided that a separate inspection be held to assess this issue of damage to the drainage and pipes. It was also agreed that the Water Resources Department (WRD) be called for the inspection and be involved in the process of restoring the drains.
Speaking to media persons, Simoes said that the RVNL did not have permission to start the work at Mollo, as the mutation was not done, and there are no clear land ownership documents like Form I and XIV.
He called upon the Railways to carry out similar surveys in other parts of Velsao where double tracking work is still on.
Reiterating that the villagers are opposed to the railway expansion, Simoes urged the government to drop the final remaining section of the proposed double tracking, from Arossim to Issorcim.
Simoes touched upon how the lives of the locals who live by the tracks in Velsao are affected due to the noise and air pollution caused by the frequent movement of coal-laden wagons. He cited how walls of local’s houses have developed cracks due to the vibrations and how fields and water bodies have been polluted due to coal spillage. Simoes then referred to the Supreme Court judgement that pointed out that the existing track is underutilised and questioned the need for the double tracking project.