Team Herald
CARMONA: Water Resources Department (WRD) officials accompanied by affected Carmona farmers and the local panchas on Saturday conducted a site inspection of the blockage of water channel to the fields at Dangafolli, here.
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It may be recalled that the Carmona Farmers’ Club had requested Churchill Alemao to undertake immediate measures of informing the South Goa Collector and WRD officials to conduct a site inspection of the rain water channel obstructions, paddy crop damages, grant permission to remove the mangroves from the rain water channel, issue a notice to the Navy for opening the water way, repair of the retaining rain water channel wall, to install footbridges and sluice gate to stop the reverse river water flow, repair the River Sal bundh breaches to stop the flow of saline water in the paddy fields and fresh water ponds and to stop the soil erosion.
The affected farmers under the banner of “Carmona Farmers’ Club” led by President Blair Rodrigues and Secretary Michael Rodrigues met Churchill at his Varca office on Saturday morning and drew his attention to the fact that they would suffer heavy losses again after the recent Cyclone Tauktae as they had cultivated their fields for the second time.
They appealed to Churchill to save their cultivated paddy fields that are flooded since the past five days and drew the attention of the WRD official present to the urgent need to clear the blockage of the water channel to their fields.
Blair informed Churchill immediately instructed the WRD official to conduct a site inspection and open the blocked water channel. A site inspection was also held along with the local panchas where the blockage of the water channel at Dangafolli was pointed out to the WRD officials, who assured that machinery and personnel would be deployed to clear these blockages the following day.
Blair expressed his gratitude to Churchill, the local panchas and villagers for supporting the farmers.
