MARGAO: The Seraulim gram sabha expressed fears on how the ongoing construction of the western
bypass has blocked traditional waterways and will cause flooding.
While in Seraulim, the bypass is being on stilts, villagers criticised the contractor for dumping mud and blocking the waterways at several locations and called for it to be cleared before the onset of the monsoon.
Locals also conveyed support to the demand being made by villagers of Benaulim for the bypass passing through Benaulim on stilts. They added that panchayat should write to the Water Resources Department (WRD) and agriculture departments informing of the eco-sensitive nature of the area and not allow any further development
“We have the Western Bypass on stilts, but in Benaulim, it is still being built on the ground, which will affect everyone during the monsoon. We must write to the authorities to have the remaining stretch on stilts. We must support Benaulim. Seraulim also is a critical area and there should not
be any more land filling
or more access roads on
our side,” said villager
Kevin D’Souza.
Locals also expressed concern about the ongoing work of the railway underbridge.
“When we had made the proposal for the underbridge, we were promised that it would be a straight road and that a bus would be able to pass through. But we now see that the road has a turn,” said villager Vincent Fernandes.
The villagers also discussed alleged illegal land filling at several locations in the village and demanded that the panchayat take action and stop the businesses operating at the sites.
The panchayat said it will write to the collector over the issue and verify if any of the businesses have the required permissions.
Joaquim Dias, another villager, criticised the destruction of the low-lying field and asked the panchayat to conduct a survey of all such cases in the village and to restore the sites to their original form.
