Team Herald
MARGAO: To address the closure of the Seraulim subway, a joint inspection was conducted on Monday. Attendees included representatives from the Public Works Department (PWD), Seraulim panchayat, local residents, and Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas. During the inspection, a series of measures have been planned for the upcoming week, which will culminate in a trial run to pump out the water that has been blocking the underpass.
At the start of the inspection, all the faults with the design of the subway as well as the drainage issue were identified.
Viegas also lamented that huge costs went into the construction of the subway, which was a joint effort between the Railways and the PWD, and yet the subway was not being used for the public and moreover, there were still regular traffic jams at the Seraulim railway crossing.
He also questioned why basic scientific planning was not followed, given the multiple sources of water constantly entering the subway path. The result was a high level of water stagnation, even on Monday, a month after the monsoon had subsided.
Locals also pointed out how the nullah is located at distance to the subway while the drains constructed for the subway end abruptly, thereby preventing the natural flow of water.
The plight of farmers, whose fields were waterlogged, and nearby residents, who were also dealing with water inundation issues, were highlighted.
The locals also demanded that a flyover be built given the fact that the subway will be shut during the monsoon period and that the Railways must shelve their plans of shutting the Seraulim railway crossing in the future.
Moving ahead, it was decided that a follow up meeting would be held on Tuesday where the panchayat and the PWD would coordinate sourcing of required equipment like a submergible high-powered pump, long pipe etc while the MLA would work towards getting an electrical connection.
Thereafter a meeting would be held on Thursday, to go over the plan to deploy the team at the site on Friday, to start the work of pumping out the water, which would go on for a weeks’ time. Railway officials have also been asked to come to the site on Friday to assess the situation.
Depending on the success of this plan, a tender would be subsequently floated to have this pump and support machinery and staff on a permanent basis so that the subway can be opened until the next monsoon season.