Team Herald
MARGAO: The Officer on Special Duty to the chief minister, Prasad Padhye, held an interaction with the Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao and the Panchayat Members of Benaulim and Seraulim over the work of Western Bypass, on Friday.
Explaining that building the bypass on stilts is not going to be geographically as well as economically viable, the officer proposed alternatives for the same. Meanwhile, Churchill said that there is no way going ahead with work without desilting the Sal River.
The meeting was hosted by Churchill at his office.
The discussion was held on the queries of the road on stilts, environment impact assessment, and pollution control board reports. During the interaction, Padhye said that it is going to be impossible to build the stretch on stilts. “The geography and the nature of the soil here doesn’t permit us to have stilts on this land. Economically too it is unviable,” he said. Giving an option he said, “We can have C section large culverts. They will let the water pass and also avoid flooding.”
When asked why stilts at so many locations for Zuari Bridge and why not for Western Bypass he said, “Stilts for bridges are built only it is most necessary like river section. The land type here doesn’t permit stilts.”
He also said that he has the entire Environment Impact Assessment reports and also the pollution control report. “As per the court, we have to stick to ground reality,” he told the gathering.
Former sarpanch Royla Fernandes said, “Not satisfied with the explanation by the OSD which gives a superficial picture. We can minimise the damage to the environment by having it on stilts.”
“The biodiversity is being affected in my village. Reclaiming the land for an interstate transport corridor is not okay,” Fernandes said.
Churchill said, “I have agreed to the people that there will be a problem if the filling is done and for that, we had demanded desilting of the River Sal. The Benaulim and Seraulim Panchayats have resolved to approach the court if their demand is not fulfilled.”
