Team Herald
ASSAGAO: The villagers of Oxel and surrounding areas of Siolim, on Tuesday, stopped the Water Resources Department (WRD) engineers from carrying out inspection of Oxel Spring without a hydrologist.
The WRD engineers later assured the people they will visit the village with a hydrologist.
A large number of people from Oxel and surrounding areas of Siolim had gathered at the Oxel Spring for the inspection as per the directive by the High Court of Bombay at Goa, which is hearing a writ petition filed by Suraj Chodankar and Avertino Miranda.
WRD Executive Engineer Milind Gaude, Assistant Engineer Vinod Naik and Junior Engineer Reshma were prevented from conducting an inspection as they did not get a hydrologist with them and in such a situation, the locals feared that the inspection report would be rubbished by the High Court as having no meaning.
Speaking to mediapersons, both the petitioners expressed their total disappointment with the Oxel Village Panchayat, WRD, TCP and PWD as they had been petitioning all these departments in the last six months with even constant reminders and not one department took this issue seriously forcing them to approach the court.
It was now with the intervention of the High Court that things are looking bright with regards to the Oxel Spring, they stated.
Capt Brian Fernandes took the WRD officials to task for being negligent in preserving the water resources and felt that if such constructions are allowed in the vicinity of such springs, then they can get contaminated and can result in vector-borne disease.
He wondered whether the WRD was on a mission to ensure that natural water bodies get contaminated?
He felt that WRD was completely lagging behind in preserving the water resources and exposed the “insensitive” attitude of
the WRD.
Miranda, who is also the convenor of Green Brigade, said that in this case once judgment delivered would be a landmark for preservation of all springs across the State and people would get some hope in future to preserve springs.
After persistent questioning the WRD officials relented and agreed to come back within the next week with a hydrologist to carry out inspection as the report has to be submitted to the High Court before the next hearing scheduled on November 13.