MARGAO: Continuing with their objection to the filling up of catchment area, Sirvodem residents said they have sought an appointment with TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on Thursday. They claimed that two land owners are not willing to give their NOC and threatened to even move the NGT on the issue.
Addressing a crowd gathered at Sirvodem, Xavier Fernandes said the fields are actually catchment areas that are flooded every monsoon.
“Given the present so called development in the area, this catchment area is of utmost importance as otherwise the excess water will enter all houses in the area,” he said.
He alleged that widening of the Kharebandh to Kale property road has already taken away sizeable catchment area and added that the Western bypass will take away sizeable area and hence there will be no area left for the excess water.
He alleged that one field was illegally filled up with the silt of River Sal when it was desilted by Avertano Furtado when he was the Fisheries Minister and claimed that the other two fields are still low lying and they have objections to its filling.
“We are not opposed to setting up the kabrastan but we definitely have objection to filling up the low lying land as that will cause flooding and damage to property and even life,” he claimed and threatened to move the NGT to protect the catchment area.
“We have sought an appointment with Vijai on Thursday as he has said that he wants to talk to us but then at the same time he is also talking about Section 17(A) of the Town and Country Planning Act, which we find contradictory,” he informed.
George Barretto from Navelim said he would organise a meeting in Navelim to drum up support to those opposing the filling up of low lying fields and suggested that Vijai should set up the kabrastan in the property purchased by his wife near the whole sale fish market.
“Vijai has shifted the carnival and Shigmo parades to Fatorda and is talking about a new municipality for Fatorda then why not have the kabrastan in Fatorda,” he asked and suggested that the land acquired for the truck terminus be used for the kabrastan.
Coming down heavily on Digambar Kamat for his statement that he is not part of the government, he asked whether Digambar considers himself to be part of the government only when it comes to launching works and demanded that he should resign as MLA if he cannot be the voice of the people.
Two of the land owners namely Christopher Fernandes, who owns around 5,500 sq mts of one field and Milagres Mascarenhas, who is the tenant in a 7,400 sq mts of field said nobody has approached them for their NOC and added they would not give any NOC for land acquisition.
