MARGAO: Navelim villagers have vowed not to allow a road to be constructed over the Saipem lake as part of the Western bypass that is under construction at the moment even as former MLA Avertano Furtado expressed confidence that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will honour the promise made to him.
Referring to media reports that the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has now decided not to construct any flyover in Navelim, the villagers alleged that it was because the local MLA is no longer an opposition to him and in fact is in cahoots with him.
The 860 mts long flyover or road on stilts as it was called was expected to cost an additional Rs 70 crore and while initially the State government had approved the flyover, as there was a cost increase it was sent to the Ministry of Surface Transport for approval.
Sidharth Karapurkar and George Barreto who had both contested the Assembly elections said that former MLA Avertano Furtado who was once called Manohar Parrikar’s altar boy had told them that the chief minister has dropped the idea of constructing the flyover in Navelim.
“We have to believe what Avertano says as he is very close to Manohar Parrikar and the chief minister is also quoted in the media stating that there will be no flyover in Navelim,” they said.
Accusing the sitting MLA Luizinho of joining hands with the chief minister, Sidharth said that Parrikar can well afford to take the Navelim MLA for granted as his support is assured at all times.
Inacio Vaz, an activist, pointed out that some catchment areas are already buried for the construction of the road and warned of the whole area getting flooded if the Saipem lake is also covered with mud to prepare the road.
“Every year during monsoons Khareband which is next to Saipem lake gets flooded and people have to be evacuated to the Fatorda stadium and if this happens even Navelim will get flooded,” he said.
He predicted bleak future for the locals as agriculture is destroyed due to all the waste coming from Margao in the lake due to which the sluice gates are no longer being closed and now with the road there would be total water logging and flooding.
