Nuvem locals want highway woes addressed by NHAI

MARGAO, AUG 22
Nuvem villagers on Sunday unanimously opposed demolition of age old religious structures along the National Highway and demanded that officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) come down to the village and explain the NH-17 alignment passing through the village.
At the Sunday gram Sabha meeting, villagers expressed concerned over the NH-17 alignment and demanded that NHAI officials be invited and explain in detail the proposed alignment and other aspects of the highway.
Villagers raised apprehensions that the proposed highway may result in demolition of structures and asked the Panchayat body to invite the NHAI officials at the earliest.
As far as the age old religious structures are concerned, the gram Sabha strongly opposed demolition of these age old structures saying they have been existing on the survey records for decades now.
Deputy Sarpanch Menino Mascarenhas told newsmen after the meeting that the Panchayat body would immediately write a letter to the PWD and NHAI to have a meeting with the villagers at the earliest. “Till such time, the NHAI or PWD explains the villagers on the alignment, people will oppose the highway proposed by the government”, he added.
Local activist Gregory Pereira informed that the villagers will not allow the highway in Nuvem till they are explained the alignment by PWD and NHAI.
He suggested that since the Nuvem stretch of the highway has been a site of many a road accident, the government should serious consider the possibility of building a flyover or underground channel for heavy traffic. “To avoid road accidents, the government should consider building flyover or an underground channel in the village”, he added.
The gram Sabha also deliberated on the health situation in the state, with officials of the Loutolim Primary Health Centre briefing the members on vector borne diseases. Regarding the discharge of soakpit waters in the drainage at Cupem, the Panchayat has promised to initiate action within 24 hours.
The gram Sabha also deliberated on the disposal of medical waste along the village boundary with Margao and called for action against the miscreants.
The increasing number of thefts in the village and the inability of the police to crack the burglaries also figured at today’s meeting. The deputy Sarpanch assured the villagers that the Panchaayt would issue notice to the concerned persons to stop the illegal bore wells.