PANJIM: Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar reiterated on Saturday that the proposed alignment for the new Borim bridge is the best option, emphasising that only one house will be affected on the Borim side.
Speaking to reporters at an event, Shirodkar addressed concerns about the bridges construction, stating, “The bridge cannot be constructed in the air. It has to have some support from the surface. Some diversion is required either here or there. I have not spoken to anybody because it is just the beginning. People had come to me, with the wrong concept saying that seven or eight houses will be demolished. That is not true. Only one house may be demolished.”
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Asserting that the alignment identified by the Public Works Department (PWD) is the most suitable, the Minister stated that it is the ideal approach to the bridge.
“We must think that if tomorrow the bridge collapses, then what? The present bridge can be used for five years, 10 years, or 15 years because repair work is to be taken up, but we must think of alternatives. There is no doubt that the bridge can continue, but you cannot expect the same bridge to continue for the next 50 years or 100 years,” he explained.
Citing the example of bridges across the Mandovi River in Panjim, including Atal Setu, Shirodkar said, “There was a protest against one bridge in the beginning, but now there are three bridges. Look at the comfort they are providing.”
The villagers of Loutolim had, in a letter to the government, objected to theland acquisition for the bridge. However, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira said he would ensure minimum environmental damage during the planning of the new Borim bridge.
