MARGAO: Keeping aside the controversial reports pertaining to the polluted lakes, hundreds of fish lovers thronged Curtorim village to buy the fish, as fresh water fish was harvested on Sunday at Raloi-Lake.
Farmers and villagers engaged in the freshwater fish farming in Raloi-Lake made a point to prove that this lake is not at all polluted, and they claimed that the response from the people is clear evidence of the same. They also urged the concerned authorities not to engage in the studies of lakes or biodiversity without taking into confidence the locals and the farmers.
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On Sunday’s show, there was a huge crowd in a queue at Raloi Lake at 6.30 am. Fish lovers from neighbouring villages were noticed laying their hands on the catch. This year too, a group of farmers managed to take the responsibility of fish farming instead of auctioning. A massive catch of a variety of fish such as Dadio, Catla, Komin, Catalog, Chonok, etc, was noticed and that too in a big sizes.
Speaking to Herald Seby Barretto, said, ‘the farmers were very much upset with the study report released by the Goa State Pollution Control Board recently.’
“Now, the Goa State Biodiversity Board has cleared that there is no pollution in the Raloi-Lake. However, we have not seen a sign of any affect to the harvested fish”, he said.
He further said they had not harvested the fish in 2021 due to Covid pandemic, and as a result big fish was found.
J Santano Rodrigues, Chairman of Curtorim Biodiversity Committee, said that this lake is pollution free.
“I have been informed by the Goa State Biodiversity Board that there is no pollution in the Raloi-Lake. Tribal community is involved in preserving the community’s fish farming, and hence the concerned authorities need to support them, instead of misguiding”, he urged.
It has been revealed that there is confusion between GSBB and Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) over the report about the polluted lakes.
Several other farmers and the villagers also claimed that Raloi-Lake is one of the cleanest lakes of Goa.
