SURAJ NANDREKAR
suraj@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The ambitious project of the third Mandovi bridge getting ready in January 2017, has run into rough weather due to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruling and Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) admitting they may have to rework the entire plan.
An inspection of the site reveals that while work is progressing from Sai Service in Porvorim to the Santa Monica Jetty in Panjim, work is yet to begin on the stretch from Panjim to Merces circle.
GSIDC Managing Director Sanjit Rodrigues admitted that work is running behind schedule. “The work on the Panjim side is at a halt owing to NGT orders, which even though has given go ahead for the project has asked not to destroy mangroves and build pillars,” Rodrigues told Herald.
“Hence we would not be able to complete the bridge on the schedule date. The deadline will change but that too will be based on NGT’s next order as the hearings are on,” he said.
He further stated that the contractor cannot go ahead as “entire plan may have to be change they have said you can’t build pillars by destroying or in the mangroves area.”
NGT in its order dated August 29, directed the Goa government to ensure that while undertaking the construction of the third bridge over River Mandovi, there is no destruction of mangroves in the area of the project and the adjoining area and also asked the government to submit the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report to the petitioner Goa Foundation. Pg 2 >>
