Benaulim locals complain encroachments near River Sal

NT NETWORK

BENAULIM

Based on several complaints filed by residents from the village of Benaulim, local panchayat officials on Wednesday conducted inspection of a plot of land along the Tolleband-Khareband located close to the River Sal.

The area has a scrap yard, a laundry service and buildings, all of which locals say are not only hazardous but illegal. After several complaints, the panchayat secretary, sarpanch, deputy sarpanch and panchas conducted inspection of the area and have decided to put the matter for its meeting to take further action. “We have taken a site inspection of the area and we will put it for the panchayat body meeting where we will decide the next course of action,” said panchayat secretary Paresh Rane.

Sarpanch Diella Fernandes gave a patient hearing to the villagers who complained that the land filling was a threat to River Sal that was a few metres away. “As it is this area floods during the monsoons and with so many projects from road widening at Khareband to the Western bypass in Benaulim and land filing activities here, there will be no way for the rain water to drain off,” said local resident Roque Fernandes.