Hill cutting leaves villagers vulnerable

PANAJI: Villagers of Chimbel and Ribandar have belatedly woken up to a massive excavation on the shoulder of the hill overlooking Divar ferry point, as they ponder over the danger posed by the heavily dug hill slope.
The narrow stretch along the newly constructed national highway 4-A at Ribandar lies above houses between the Old Goa institute of management building and Casa de Polvora, Panelim.One building has already been constructed while rampant digging activity to its west has flattened land above a steep slope on the northern side between the Chimbel slope and Saibaba temple.
“We thought the work was part of the highway construction,” said John Lobo of Ribandar Chimbel Rakhonn Samiti (RCRS). The excavation above Panelim, along the old road on the Mandovi river front, has caused apprehensions among villagers about the stability of the slope.
A narrow stretch of about 250m between the highway and the steep slope, with houses below, has been scooped out and already flattened. Villagers alleged that there is no board at the site providing details of the project. “The work was going on in three shifts even during late evening for about a month,” Lobo said.
The building towers on the edge of the slope near the highway and villagers are worried that the excavation may pave way for another construction by its side. The heavily excavated area is a fragile slope and the combined pressure of movement of loaded vehicles and the buildings may destabilize the hill, villagers say. “If a single rock dislodges from the excavated area, it can damage property and endanger the lives of those in the houses below,” says Elvis D’Souza, a resident of Ribandar. The hill soaks in heavy rainfall and streams and run-offs carry to the river below. “We do not know how the excavation has disturbed the paths of streams. We will not know right now to what extent the slope has been destabilized,” D’Souza said.
A PWD official denied that the new building is within the road widening zone. “As per the rule, no construction can come up 40m from the road. The building line in this case is 40m from the highway,” the official said.
RCRS activists are planning to mobilize villagers to look into the activity on the fragile slope.