Following concerns raised by locals of Nuvem and members of the village’s Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) over the manner in which the desilting of River Sal had been conducted, the Water Resources Department (WRD) carried out an inspection of the river stretch in Nuvem.
While speaking to the media, Nuvem BMC Chairperson Jose Roque Andrade reiterated that they were not happy with how the desilting work was carried out by the authorities.
“The desilting work has not been done properly as per the norms. They were supposed to remove the silt, but they just went about the work recklessly,” he added.
Andrade also raised fears about how the silt dumped along the river embankment will all flow into the adjoining fields, destroying the agricultural fields.
The farmers of the village had also stated that they were worried about their fields getting affected.
While the WRD official tried to offer clarity to the locals and farmers about the work being carried out, he is believed to have assured to take up separate work along the stretch.
Members of the Tenant Association who were present expressed their satisfaction that the WRD had assured to take up the work the way they wanted them to.
Local resident Everson Valles added that the WRD officials had assured to post an official to monitor the work to ensure that the desilting work is carried out scientifically. Locals also demanded the contractor restores the vegetation and trees that had been cut along the stretch. Locals added that corrective measures need to be carried out immediately to avoid any flooding.
