Western bypass work resumes, but stops at Seraulim

THE GOAN NETWORK  

MARGAO

The PWD, National Highways has resumed construction of the western bypass, but only up to the Wholesale fish market road, Seraulim, with Executive Engineer saying that the government has appointed a consultant to prepare a fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the problematic 2.75 km long stretch from Seraulim to Varca, considered the flood plains of river Sal.  

The rationale behind completing the stretch of the western bypass up to the wholesale fish market road is apparently to complete the stretch so that the available constructed stretch can be put to use in a bid to ease traffic congestion on the Margao-Panjim highway. 

In the meantime, the government-appointed consultant has started work on the preparation of a fresh DPR for the balance 2.75 km stretch of road where villagers of Seraulim, Mungul and Benaulim have been demanding construction of the bypass on stilts.  

Claiming that the High Court has passed an order in a PIL to complete the stretch up to the wholesale fish market road by May 2019, so that the available constructed stretch can be put to use, EE Laxmikant Naik in a letter to the Sarpanch of Seraulim has stated that any obstruction to the directives shall be treated as contempt of Court.  

Based on HC directions, the contractor resumed land filling from the abandoned site along the Seraulim stretch of the bypass to the wholesale fish market road on Tuesday. Trucks load of mud was dumped along the alignment near the box culvert already erected by the 

PWD.  

EE Naik told The Goan that the government has already appointed a consultant to prepare DPR vis-à-vis the balance 2.75 km contentious stretch of the bypass from Seraulim to Benaulim at the Varca

 road. 

“It’s now two weeks since the consultant has started his work of preparing the fresh DPR along the 2.75 km stretch. His brief is to recommend to the government how to go about the project in the problematic stretch with villagers demanding construction of the bypass on stilts,” 

he said.  

Sources in the know informed that the government has appointed a consultant to prepare a fresh DPR since the cost of the project is expected to rise manifold if the government accepts the 

demand of the villagers for construction of the bypass on stilts along the 2.75 kms 

stretch.  

Sources in the PWD informed that the completion of the bypass along the Verna-Nuvem-wholesale fish market road would provide an alternate bypass road for commuters traveling on the Margao-Panjim highway. While the Nuvem bypass is nearing completion, sources in the PWD said the contractor has been directed to complete the balance portion so that the available constructed stretch can be put to use.  

The 11.9 km Western road bypass was supposed to initially cost the exchequer Rs 2.98 crore, with the cost shooting up to Rs 354.44 crore after the revision.  

Villagers of Seraulim, Benaulim and Mungul had been agitating against the western bypass, demanding that the government construct the bypass on stilts, fearing inundation of the low lying flood plains and displacement of the rain water in the 

villages.   

While former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had offered a solution by increasing the number of culverts along the 2.75 km stretch, deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai has come out strongly in support of the construction of the bypass on stilts.