BENAULIM, Feb. 11 -- There is anxiety building amongst residents of Benaulim as the work on the Western Bypass stretch passing through their village is being expedited, raising concerns if their collective and long-standing demand for the bypass to be built on stilts and not embankments, won't be fulfilled. For the villagers, if the bypass is built on embankments, there will be widespread destruction to the fields, the biodiversity, and moreover, there will be flooding during the monsoon season.

Given that there have been floods for the last two consecutive years, which were followed by site inspections from various authorities, locals wonder why the government is failing to see reason and listen to their demands.

Even the Water Resourc...