Scrap land acquisition process near Margao sewerage project: ryots
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JAN 10
Farmers from Navelim on Monday demanded immediate scrapping of the process to acquire land admeasuring three lakh square metres near the Margao sewerage project.
The farmers protested against the land acquisition proceeding as well as against the rampant discharge of sewage waters into the Salpem Lake from neighbouring Margao, leaving the paddy fields contaminated.
The farmers had assumed in front of the district Collectorate, South seeking time to file reply to the land acquisition process initiated by the Deputy Collector, Margao.
In the letter, the farmers sought four weeks time to file the reply on grounds that they are in the process of challenging Section 6 of the land acquisition notification dated June 1, 2010 in the High Court.
Briefing newsmen, the farmers clarified that they have not abandoned their paddy fields, but have been forced not to cultivate the fields because of the inundation of the fields by the sewage waters from Margao.
A farmer Meena Pereira said the farmers have on more than one occasion expressed their willingness to cultivate the fields if the government clean up the sewage waters and stop further flow of waste from into the Salpem Lake. “We have not cultivated the fields in the last two years because of flow of sewage waters into the lake. That does not mean that the farmers have abandoned cultivation of the fields”, she added.
Another resident Cruz Rodrigues took strong exception to the statement made by Chairman of the Goa Sewerage Corporation Ganashyam Shirodkar that the government is acquiring the land to set up a buffer zone. “The government is fooling the farmers and the people. You don’t require three lakh square meters of land to create a buffer zone”, he asserted, and warned the government not to test the patience of the agitating farmers and villagers.
Jose Paul Coutinho said the farmers have assembled in front of the Collectorate to protest against the land acquisition as well as discharge of sewage waters into the Salpem lake. “The paddy fields comprising of the lake was being cultivated by the farmers to grow vegetables and other crops before sewage waters from neighbouring Margao found its way into the once picturesque Salpem Lake”, Coutinho said.
While demanding scrapping of the land acquisition proceedings, Coutinho further demanded that the government stop the inflow of sewage waters into the Salpem Lake.
