PONDA: Farmers in Kundaim are urging the Captain of Ports to revoke permissions for cargo and coal barge transport through the Cumbharjua canal, citing severe soil erosion of the bandharas (embankments) protecting the khazan fields. The increased barge traffic, taking a shortcut from Kundaim, has caused substantial damage, threatening farming and fishing activities, they rue.
Vijesh Naik, president of the Kundaim Chickhalpaine Khazan Tenant Association reports that these barges, prohibited in the narrow canal, have recently begun transporting coal from Vasco to Cumbharjua and Sarmanas, shortening their route by five kilometres. This increase in barge trips has resulted in soil erosion along the four km-long bandhara. Portions of the embankments have already washed away, posing a severe risk to the paddy crops cultivated by local farmers after two months of labour.
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Naik noted that barge traffic starts after 10.30 am during high tide, creating waves that severely impact the traditional mud bandharas. The embankments, originally three metres wide, have been reduced to just one metre in many places, with nearby trees also uprooted. This ongoing erosion threatens the livelihood of farmers and fishers, who rely solely on agriculture and fishing.
Naik stressed that if the barge movement isn’t halted, both the paddy crops, for which farmers have invested Rs 35,000 to 40,000, and traditional fishing methods will be permanently ruined, devastating the entire village.
