MARGAO: Fearing damage to the traditional bundh several farmers from Maina-Curtorim protested against the ongoing works pertaining to khazan for fishing activities, and demanded with the Captain of Ports to revoke the given permissions.
In the morning hours of Monday a large number of farmers gathered at the site, including local MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and also demanded intervention from the Agriculture Department at the earliest.
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As informed by the farmers one private party has planned to develop the ‘Bhatti Khazan’ for the fishing activities. However, there are fears that this will lead to damage of centuries old bundh, which plays a role of protecting lakhs of square metres of agricultural land.
Speaking to media persons Lawrenco Barretto, a farmer said there exists a small khazan on the other side of the bundh, and one private party has planned to develop that khazan for fishing activities.
“The bundh which protects the agricultural land will be damaged, if the attached khazan is developed further, as both are interconnected to each other. We have been protecting this bundh for the last several years so that farming activities are carried out without any problems”, he said.
He further said that there are nearly hundred farmers who are engaged in cultivation and that too, harvesting two crops in a year.
“The government cannot allow one person to carry out the fishing activities by risking the livelihood of hundreds of other farmers. We are demanding that the Captain of Ports revoke the permissions given to the concerned person at the earliest”, demanded Lawrenco.
He claimed that the turnover of paddy cultivation over here is almost touching 3 crore per year as such there should be action to protect the bundh and not to destroy it.
Simon Barretto, deputy sarpanch of Village Panchayat Curtorim said in the early days our ancestors used to take care of this Bhati Khazan for fishing activities and now we are shocked to see that somebody has claimed ownership of the khazan.
“The concerned person has already commenced the works pertaining to develop it further, and that too without looking into the facts that it will destroy the agricultural land, which is on the other side of the bundh”, he added.
He further alleged that Mangroves have been cut down over by the said khazan owner and no government authority has taken any action, despite complaints.
Simon also assured to take action from the panchayat side immediately.
“Our first preference should be to protect the agricultural land, and not to destroy it. We have personally requested the concerned person to stop the work”, he added.
The farmers have urged the concerned departments to look into the matter and stop the work immediately.
Local MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who also visited the site on Monday, assured his help in protecting the interests of the farmers.
