THIS IS HOW YOUNG AND ENGAGED FIGHT …… a (western) bypass towards destruction, with barren fields and flooded farms

MARCOS GONSALVES

BENAULIM: One of the apprehensions is that in the future the children of Benaulim and Seraulim will not be able to see the beauty of nature if the government goes ahead with the western bypass project and if it is not built. on stilts. It is not finished ; even the farming community will be badly affected, as their fields will be flooded. Houses will also be flooded.

The result has already been seen this monsoon, where flooding was observed in many areas as a result of backfilling of land giving way to the western bypass project from Seraulim to Kharebhand-Benaulim.

However, Royla Fernandes and her team, which includes the student community of Benaulim, won half the battle when the National Greens Tribunal ordered relevant authorities to form a panel to investigate the matter of urgency after their voice has remained inaudible for many years. years. The villagers hope that the panel will act wisely to avoid a major disaster in the near future.

HOW TO BUILD A ROAD IN WETLANDS

The question now is, how do you build a highway over wetlands? There are places in the country where highway works have been called off to save wetlands. Why is the voice of the villagers not heard by the authorities concerned and will NGT come to the rescue to save the environment after the study report, which has not yet been submitted?

THE PREMISES NOT AGAINST BYPASSING: BUILDING ON STAYS SAID

Residents of Seraulim and Benaulim have been demanding that the western ring road be built on stilts since 2007, when national highways first disclosed plans to build the ring road. However, the demands of the population remained inaudible for a very long time, until the NGT gave instructions to the authorities concerned to study the matter.

The citizens strongly fear that Benaulim, in addition to the village of Seraulim, will be submerged if the ring road is not built on stilts. The effects are already visible in this monsoon, as many roads and fields have been flooded.

M / s M Venkata Rao Infra Projects Pvt Ltd., Caranzalem is constructing the 2.75 km long western ring road through Seraulim to Varca. It is noted that the section from Nuvem to Seraulim has already been done and that it is now proposed to build the road on the wetlands over the objections of residents as they fear several houses will be damaged, NGT observed.

According to former Benaulim Sarpanch and NGT petitioner Royla Fernandes building the ring road by backfilling the land and claiming that the culverts proposed by the consultant and the National Highway Authority will not stop the flooding of the villages.

“Famous bodies of water such as Komla Tollem and Vhoddlem Tollem in Benaulim would be damaged if the western ring road was not built on stilts,” Royla said.

She further informed that a joint inspection had taken place on December 18, 2019 and that the report of the Ministry of Agriculture clearly indicated that a “large-scale landfill had been carried out for the construction of the western ring road” , while in other areas there is no water outlet. NGT also took note of this in the recently adopted ordinance.

Speaking to Herald Royla, he then told the story of the West Bypass Project’s environmental conservation movement and said that she, with children, traveled regularly from Margao via Kharebhand to Benaulim. The day was so beautiful when they enjoyed the flora and fauna by the side of the road.

“Suddenly we heard that the Western Bypass would be built here by filling in the wetlands and at that point I told my kids that” maybe this is the last time we are enjoying the beauty of nature here. Everyone was upset. Later a movement started with the participation of children and students, ”Royla said.

Reacting to NGT’s order, Sidharth Karapurkar, a social activist said the environment must be protected. “In fact, it was totally unfair on the part of the authorities concerned to go ahead with the project without studying the realities on the ground and without giving the inhabitants confidence. The project should be carried out in a holistic way”, a- he declared.

He is also of the opinion that the western bypass from Seraulim to Benaulim should be on stilts in order to protect the environment. “Flooding is not new, however, human-caused flooding, and that too destroying our environment is not acceptable,” Sidharth said.

A student of Benaulim Johann Pereira said that eventually their voice was heard by the NGT. “We must protect our environment, because it is necessary for our survival. Our demand is on the government to protect our future,” he urged.