BICHOLIM: Around 100 farmers from Pilgao in Bicholim have expressed their anger over the contractor’s delay in repairing the Paain-Khazan sluice gate which is causing huge losses.
Purushottam Parab Gaonkar, a farmer from Pilgao, said that they still cultivate their farms but there is hardly any profit for them.
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“Inspite of all odds we cultivate the farms but there is no profit. Our fields get inundated with salt water only because the sluice gate is kept open,” said Purushottam.
The farmers are surprised over the attitude of the contractor who has left the work incomplete. “He has tried to repair the side walls but did not install the doors of the sluice gate. We approached everyone but the contractor is still not ready to repair and complete the work,” Purushottam added.
Although there are 100 farmers, they said, that very few cultivate the farms only because the sluice gate is not repaired. “We demand that these gates be immediately installed so that all the fields could be cultivated,” he stated.
Another farmer, Anandi Pednekar had the same complaint and laments that since last three years they are continuously suffering losses.
“This field is very fertile and can yield good production throughout the year. Many farmers still try to cultivate it but suffer only losses. We employ labourers and even use machines for ploughing the fields but with so many efforts there are hardly any returns. It is only because most of the crop is damaged by the salt water,” Pednekar explains.
The farmers have now urged the government to look into the matter and compensate them for their losses.
