With monsoon round the corner and the contractor virtually deciding to start full-fledged construction work on the training wall-cum-break water facility at the River Sal mouth, fears are being raised in many quarters that the thousands of tonnes of construction material dumped on Mobor beach may find its way at the River Sal mouth, which could block the navigation channel.
the goan I network
MARGAO
Representatives of M V Rao Infra Project Pv Ltd have told The Goan that though the contractor has received permission for the construction of the temporary road, the agency will commence work on the training wall only post-monsoon, around the month of October next.
“It would not be possible to complete the work before the onset of monsoon since the work on the construction of the 480-mt long training wall will require a minimum of four months for completion,” a representative of M V Rao Infra Project Ltd told The Goan. While the official pointed out that the contractor will mobilize the machinery for the construction work around September, the actual work will begin at the River Sal mouth only around October. Fishermen, including mechanized boat owners, however, fear that the construction material dumped at the river mouth on the Mobor beach may find its way into the narrow water channel during the rains, further disrupting movement of vessels.
A week ago, a delegation of mechanized fishing vessels called on the CM with a plea seeking directions to the contractor to either complete work on the training wall/break water facility before monsoon or lift the construction material dumped close to the river mouth. They have raised apprehensions that the heavy silted River Sal mouth may pose further problems for the fishing vessels in the coming season if the construction material finds its way into the river during the coming rains. The contractor had stopped work on the construction of the training wall/break water facility at the River Sal mouth after a local NGO knocked the doors of the GCZMA, questioning the construction of a temporary road on the beach to facilitate transportation of construction material for the project. Stop work order issued by the GCZMA to the contractor and the Fisheries department had brought all work at the site to a complete halt.
While a representative of the contractor has now claimed that it has received the permission for the construction of the temporary road to carry the construction material to the beach, he pointed out that intervening monsoon has come in the way of commencing work at the site. M V Rao Infra Projects Ltd had bagged a total of three projects, including construction of training wall and fishing jetty at Chapora and the construction of
the training wall and upgradation of the fishing jetty
at Cutbona.
