TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: The Captain of Ports is finally bracing up to take up dredging of the river Sal mouth at Betul, but boat owners, including traditional fishermen from Betul operating small boats, say that only a break water facility or a retaining wall would offer a permanent solution to problems plaguing at the river mouth.
Capt James Braganza told Herald that dredging work would commence at the river mouth at an estimated cost of Rs 1.89 crore. “The bid is already finalised and the work order will be issued to the contractor soon,” Capt Braganza said.
Incidentally, the Captain of Ports had planned to take up the river mouth dredging last year, but a single tender received for the work delayed the process.
Boat owners, who have been demanded a solution to the hostile navigation problems at the river mouth, however, sounded sceptical whether dredging offers a solution to the issue. Says Cutbona Boat Owners Union President, Seby Cardozo: “Dredging offers only a temporary solution to the navigation problem at the river mouth. The construction of the retaining wall and break water facility will solve the problem on a permanent basis.”
Cardozo said the dredging work should be taken up after the government builds a retaining wall along the river mouth, and hoped that the Fisheries Department would fulfil the long-pending demand of boat owners.
Incidentally, Herald understands that the Fisheries department-appointed consultant, West Bengal Fisheries Corporation, had recommended construction of a retaining wall at the river mouth to tide over the navigation problem.
