Shadow Council for Margao in the presence of several prominent citizens from Margao, cautioned and warned the authorities, especially the water resources department, over the strong possibility of destruction due to flooding. Pointing to the excavation carried out by the Water Resources Department, for the construction of an unnecessary “Branch Nallah”, SCM Convener Savio Coutinho stated that the walls of the existing nallah have been exposed, and will most certainly collapse due to the stormwater pressure, thereby flooding and destroying everything that comes in it’s way.
Prominent citizens who attended included Arch. Carlos Gracias, Prof. Kondli, Adv. Snehal Onskar, Writer Ms. Rajeshree Nagarsekar, Retired Panchayat Secretary Agnelo Serrao, Nelita Coelho, Zabir Shaik, Nazario Fernandes, Iftiyaz Shaik, Nitin Prabhu, Jayesh Kane, Camilo Camara, Domnic Coutinho, Ashok Shivolkar, Damodar Onskar, Jason Cardozo, Bartolomeo Pinto, Maria Rodrigues, Olympio Fernandes, and several others.
The walls of the existing nallah are not designed to retain the water pressure during heavy flow, explained Mr. Coutinho. It was the landmass on the other side of the nallah walls, which supported the walls he said.
It may be recalled that on the eve of Christmas on 24th December 2021, the Shadow Council for Margao had complained over the illegal felling of 30 trees. The trees were cut in order to make way for the Shifting of the Nallah to facilitate real Estate development, Mr. Coutinho charged. “Why should 81 lakhs from the public exchequer be spent to benefit someone’s private agenda?”, questioned SCM.
Mr. Coutinho stated that they have apprehensions that the work which the SCM has already exposed as a scam, has been left in the present status so that the existing nallah should breach and break open, so as to give an opportunity to fulfill the dubious need of some vested interests.
We wish to very categorically state that Water Resources Department shall be solely responsible for any form of destruction or losses caused by their criminal negligence, SCM Convener Mr. Savio Coutinho said.
SCM further revealed that they have filed written complaints to the Chief Minister Mr. Pramod Sawant, WRD Minister Mr. Subash Shirodkar and the Executive Engineer of WRD Div III, and alleged that some strong forces are behind this scam.
The sole purpose of inviting prominent citizens from Margao to this site was to give them a better understanding of this issue, and how public funds are misused, Mr. Coutinho stated.
Through the media reports we hear of crores and crores of rupees being spent on development works in Margao, but we can hardly see Margao developing in the true sense. This is the type of personal development that happens in Margao, Mr. Coutinho charged.
Speaking about development works Mr. Coutinho further pointed out to a tender worth 3.5 crores to provide Hotmix carpet for the roads in ward no 20. He said that the work tendered in 2016 is still ongoing, with a few roads being provided the first coat of Hotmix carpet prior to every elections held since 2018, he said critically.
We demand that the PWD Minister Mr. Nilesh Cabral, who had campaigned in ward 20 during the Municipal elections, to inquire from his department where the second layer of Hotmix carpet had vanished, Mr. Coutinho said. The two layers of Hotmix carpet are designed to be provided immediately one after the other, however, the first batch of roads were provided the first layer, has disintegrated at several places, Mr. Coutinho said. Will the PWD Minister pin responsibility for this shoddy work executed in ward no 20? Is it technically sound and sensible to provide the second layer of Hotmix carpet after 3 monsoon seasons passing over ? , SCM questioned.