Villagers voice traffic, environment concerns at Raia gram sabha

Margao: The gram sabha of Raia panchayat on Sunday witnessed heated discussions over various civic issues, with traffic safety and destruction of natural water bodies taking centre stage.
Villagers expressed serious concerns about inadequate traffic safety measures in the village, particularly highlighting the poor maintenance of speed breakers and rumbler strips. “The speed breakers have no radium lights, making them invisible at night, and the rumbler strips have lost their white paint. These conditions have led to several accidents and even loss of lives,” a gram sabha member said.
The villagers proposed stationing police personnel at key traffic junctions during school hours to ensure children’s safety.
Environmental concerns dominated much of the discussion, with several members highlighting the alarming disappearance of traditional nallahs (water channels) in Arlem and Raia areas. “These water bodies are either being filled up for construction or are choked with debris and waste. During monsoons, this leads to severe flooding in our areas,” a gram sabha member said.
The villagers demanded immediate action from the panchayat to identify and restore these water channels using old land survey plans. “We want strict action against those responsible for destroying these nallahs,” another villager said.
The meeting also saw strong opposition to a proposed mobile tower construction in the village. Residents cited health and environmental concerns to oppose the proposed tower.
The panchayat body assured the villagers that their concerns would be addressed promptly.