Stretches along Western Bypass, houses & fields in Benaulim flood

Colva: As the state received incessant rains, fields and catchment areas all along the Western Bypass were left inundated while many houses were flooded on Tuesday.

The existing drainage constructed to facilitate free flow of water along the wholesale fish market route proved inadequate. Farmers in Benaulim claimed that the flow of rainwater has been affected, which has led to flooding of land and homes.

Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas inspected the flooded areas along with a team of disaster management officials. He has demanded that the mamlatdar, officials from the PWD, WRD and the National Highways Authority of India carry out a risk assessment to check the threat to human life and land.

WRD executive engineer Sainath Jamkhandi said that his department has already provided three alternatives to the PWD. One was part construction of the Western Bypass on stilts and part on embankments.

The second option was constructing the entire stretch on stilts and the third was building the bypass entirely on embankment.

Jamkhandi said the government has accepted the first option and the bypass will be constructed on stilts in Seraulim, while the remaining portion of the bypass in Benaulim will be built on embankment.

WRD junior engineer Apricio D’Costa said they have asked the PWD to provide new nallahs on the embankments in alignment with the existing ones for smooth flow of water.

Farmers and villagers have, however, stuck to their demand that a 1.5km stretch of the Western Bypass through their village has to be on stilts to avoid destruction of crops, environment and damage to houses.

Veigas said that if the Western Bypass is not built on stilts, the situation for the farmers and residents of Benaulim, Seraulim and Navelim would worsen further in the coming monsoons.