TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Beleaguered farmers from Nuvem finally had their way as the authorities and the Nuvem bypass contractor saw reason by agreeing to carry on the road work without opening the Rumder bandh.
The farming community has been up in arms after the PWD officials despatched a letter to the Salcete Mamlatdar to open the Rumder bandh to facilitate construction of the balance portion of the Nuvem bypass. After the farmers lodged their strong protest over the move to open the bandh, the Salcete Mamlatdar Triveni Velip arranged an inspection of the bandh in the presence of the PWD, WRD, road contractor Clafacio Dias and others for an on the spot assessment of the ground reality.
A farmer Jose Roque Andrade told the media after the inspection that the road contractor has agreed that he would carry out the ongoing work without opening the bandh. He said that opening of the Rumder bandh would have resulted in a major environmental degradation, affecting both the plant and animal life, besides the farmers. “As it is, the authorities had delayed in constructing the Rumder bandh by nearly 40 days. And, now the PWD wanted to open the bandh to facilitate road construction, which was opposed by the farmers and villagers”, he said. Adding “closure of the Rumber bandh help not only maintain water table, but is a storage for water, meeting the irrigation needs of fields right up to Mungul.”
Social activist Zarinha da Cunha said the Rumder bandh area was a wet land.
