Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The proposed twin observation towers on the new Zuari Bridge have moved a step closer to implementation, with the Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) recommending environmental clearance for the Rs 270-crore project.
The recommendation followed a site inspection carried out by the committee on August 24. The proposal has now been referred to the Goa State Impact Assessment Authority (SIAA), which will take a final decision on the grant of environmental clearance.
The project, being developed by Dilip Buildcon, had earlier secured Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) in April. Following the CRZ approval, the proposal was sent to the SEAC for assessment under the Environment (Protection) Act.
The project had been planned for commencement after the monsoon, with the construction period estimated at three years from the start of work. However, construction has not progressed as the necessary statutory clearances were awaited.
The SEAC has attached a number of environmental conditions to its recommendation. Among them is a direction to reinforce the estuarine shoreline with a gabion wall made from laterite or basaltic stone.
The project proponent has also been instructed not to alter the existing cross-section of the nallah that carries water from the existing pond into the river.
Specific precautions will have to be adopted to minimise pollution and prevent littering in the estuarine area during construction as well as after the project becomes operational.
The committee has also called for plantation in consultation with the Goa State Biodiversity Board. Only native and ecologically appropriate species suited to the riparian environment are to be used.
The project area includes multiple environmentally sensitive classifications, including CRZ-IA covering mangroves and their buffer areas, CRZ-IB covering water bodies, CRZ-III No Development Zones along rivers and creeks, besides notified fishing zones.
Under the proposal, two observation towers will be constructed on the new Zuari Bridge. A 120-metre-long and 12-metre-wide elevated walkway will connect the towers with the mainland, while high-speed elevators will provide access to the viewing areas.
Additional visitor amenities are planned below the bridge on the Agassaim side. These include a children’s play area, toilets, pantry, ticketing facility, security cabin and an administrative block, which is currently functioning as the developer’s temporary site office.
