Team Herald
MARGAO: Authorities are expected to issue a stop-work order to contractors involved in the construction of a culvert and the damaging of a water body along the Western Bypass in Benaulim, following complaints from local residents.
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Santan Pereira, a resident, informed OheraldO that he had lodged a formal complaint with the Panchayat and other relevant authorities, urging immediate action to prevent further destruction of biodiversity and to mitigate potential accidents.
This comes just a day after Benaulim residents strongly opposed the illegal filling of low-lying areas and water bodies near the Umiya Mercado shopping mall along the bypass. They had demanded immediate intervention from authorities to halt the environmental damage. Frustrated with the inaction, locals also sought the intervention of their MLA, Venzy Viegas.
Currently, the ongoing culvert construction and land-filling work have been halted. Pereira confirmed, “Following my complaint, the Panchayat is in the process of issuing a stop-work order to the contractor, as the destruction of water bodies and biodiversity has already been reported.”
Pereira has also urged the South Goa Collector’s office and the Traffic Cell to review the culvert’s design along the Western Bypass at Benaulim.
“It is evident that the current design is flawed, leading to the filling of water bodies and accidents. Authorities must come together and finalize a proper design before it results in a disaster,” he emphasised.
He further pointed out that residents have long been raising concerns over the filling of water bodies and the destruction of agricultural land due to the construction of the Western Bypass.
“It is high time that the Panchayat’s biodiversity committee and the Goa State Biodiversity Board take serious note of the destruction happening in the name of development,” Pereira said.
