Goemkarponn desk
MAPUSA: For the last several days, the villagers of Guirim have been isolated from other parts as the roads leading to Mapusa town and the national highway have been submerged.
Water has entered several houses, and yet the authorities do not seem to wake up and act.
The road leading from Green park hotel to Verla-Canca and Guirim underpass to Parra has been completely submerged.
The water has entered houses and vehicles, causing damages of lakhs of rupees.
More importantly, the floods have caused significant damage to Guirim farmers, whose fields have been destroyed.
CM admits it’s a MAN-MADE DISASTER…
Chief Minister Dr Pamod Sawant on Thursday admitted that the flooding in Guriim is man-made and directed the officials to take immediate remedial measures.
“All I can say it is MAN-MADE disaster, I know the work of highway is the major cause, but there is construction material everywhere which has also caused this floods,” he said.
Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaocar, Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo and Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza, PWD and WRD and Agriculture officials were also present for the inspection.
The Chief Minister said that he has also urged the Agriculture department ZAO to inspect and compensate the farmers whose fields have been destroyed.
“Since the flooding is also due to tidal effect. I have asked the PWD and WRD teams to inspect the tar river and clear the blockages. The culverts which have been narrowed have to be widened on national highways,” he said.
He said he had asked the officials to find an effective solution so that there is no flooding next year.
“I regret the inconvenience to caused to the people,” he said.
Who will BELL the cat… M Venkat Rao?
The Chief Minister named everybody responsible for the floods but did not mention action against MVR.
MVR, the contractor, is notorious for its shoddy work in Goa which has been sub-standard to the point of collapse or have been delayed for years, and in some cases, simply abandoned after creating major issues.
Locals say MVR is solely responsible for the sub-standard work on National Highway 66, which has caused the floods.
“The construction debris are not of locals but of MVR, who has been doing sub-standard work on the highway and dumping everything on the sides. Why the chief minister did not blame the MVR and take action?” asked one Girish Naik.
Another local said, “MVR is the relative of top BJP leader, and hence they do not want to act. If CM has guts, ask MVR to compensate the people who have been inconvenienced.”
Locals say MVR does not have the technical background or
expertise to handle such large projects and uses sub-contractors to finish smaller portions of work while enjoying the profit margin of the entire contract.
Despite this, the State government continues to give contracts to MVR as he is related to a top BJP politician.
It is high time works of MVR be stopped immediately and investigated for quality by private consultants, and also that engineers of PWD who have abdicated their responsibility of supervision be held liable and suspended for dereliction of duty.
The BJP, which came into power riding on the back of an anti-corruption wave against the Congress, appears to have perfected the art of corruption and doesn’t seem likely to stop even if the lives of Goans are lost in the process.