MARGAO: Residents of Guirdolim led by the local MLA Clafasio Dias expressed total displeasure with the Railways for blocking the traditional waterway. Even as the railways began removing the dumped mud, the locals are considering moving the National Green Tribunal to seek relief.
Site Engineer Sachin Kumar was showered with questions and had to patiently explain what was happening on the site by referring to the plan prepared by the railways. He asserted that the railways had dumped mud only on its own property and not encroached on private land.
However, when measurements were taken on site it was discovered that the railways had encroached even up to 17 mts on private property and that is when the site engineer said that they had encroached upon the land that they had proposed to be acquired.
“We expected the Goa government to acquire the land and hand it over to us but that has not happened,” Sachin said as villagers insisted on taking measurements, at regular intervals to show how much encroachment the railways had done.
What upset the locals was the blocking of the traditional waterway which is locally called Oll that takes away water from three different villages during the monsoons. Pointing out to the narrow channel dug out at Nacasana lake, the site engineer said the water was flowing and asserted that even the monsoon water will flow smoothly.
“My education tells me that there will be no blockage of water and it will flow smoothly,” he said but as villagers asserted that there will be blockage, he said he will clear greater depth and breadth if the Water Resources Department certifies that the flow of water will be curtailed.
Moving a little further at Mangeavoll the villagers pointed out that this was the spot where the Oll would turn right to join another stream and then proceed further. “The curve that was here has been totally covered with mud and it is submerged so where will the water go?” asked one of the locals.
Water Resources Department Junior Engineer Gangesh Salgaonkar who arrived on the scene declared that the flow of water is stopped and it would lead to flooding and that is when the site engineer immediately asked the contractor to start removing the mud dumped at Mangeavoll.
The site engineer disclosed that if the retaining wall was constructed to demarcate the property already acquired by the railways, they would not need the additional land sought to be acquired and added that while there will be no work during the monsoons, construction of the retaining wall will be taken up immediately when the monsoons end.
It costs around Rs. 1 crore to construct a retaining wall for 1 kms and the area involved in Guirdolim is around 500 mts and the railways have proposed to acquire land in width of 10 mts to 20 mts along the whole length.
MLA Clafasio Dias regretted that the Collector did not come for the site inspection and said he would let the matter die down but would follow it up persistently. “We cannot afford to let the railways play with the lives of the people and they have to do their work without causing any damage to the locals,” he said.
Incidentally the survey plan used by the Railways to prepare the plan was also questioned by the villagers who alleged that the Oll position was shown at the wrong place and alleged that it was deliberately altered to help the railways.
That is when some of the villagers murmured about moving the NGT and Clafasio agreed to look at that possibility if necessary.
