Ignored, breached and troubled, khazans in danger

That which gives Goa its identity, that which makes Goa unique, that piece of heritage that has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries from time immemorial is under threat. As forests get denuded and hills gouged out drawing the attention of all, few realise that the khazan lands face the biggest threat in Goa. These unique parcels of land are found only in this our State and are hyper eco-sensitive, yet, the new CRZ Notification makes no mention of these, giving them no special protection.

Centuries ago, these pieces of land would possibly have been wastelands, as they are coastal saline areas that during the high tide are inundated by the rising waters. Our forefathers, however, saw the possibility of converting the marsh land into cultivable fields and reclaimed these in the flood plains of the major rivers and estuaries. Salinity turns any land unusable, but these lands have been protected by embankments, or bunds as they are called in Konkani, with sluice gates controlling the ingress of water, so as to make them fertile for cultivation. This is an ancient technology that still serves well the purpose of controlling the entry of water into the land.

These ecological marvels are under threat because of the neglect. They are today desperately sending out a call for their revival and conservation, but the cry has been consistently falling on deaf ears. Forget not that the khazan land area in total works out to approximately 18,000 hectares or around 5 per cent of the State’s geographical area. Can Goa afford to lose these fertile lands due to breaches in embankments and malfunctioning sluice gates?

According to studies, the khazans are among the most threatened of ecosystems in the State, with around 4,000 hectares estimated to have been lost over the last three decades. A study on the khazans published by TERI concludes that, “Economic rationality, that is, the impetus to maximize economic profit, has taken precedence over social and cultural bonds. Indirect dependence on ecosystem services is neither perceived nor valued.” It is we, blinded by monetary gains, who have failed to ‘perceive and value’ what the ancient settlers of this land created. If this man-made marvel is under threat, it is us the people of the land who are to blame and also the government that approved the CRZ Draft notification without seeking any changes.

The khazan lands are hyper eco-sensitive but there is no mention of them in the CRZ notification. Yet, other lands such as the Sundarbans in West Bengal and ecologically sensitive areas identified under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 such as Gulf of Khambat in Gujarat, Malvan, Achra-Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Karwar and Coondapur in Karnataka, Vembanad in Kerala, Bhaitarkanika in Odisha, will be considered as Critical Vulnerable Coastal Areas (CVCA). Why were the khazan lands of Goa ignored? Couldn’t they be given such special protection?

The State government, the Environment Department in particular, should have ensured that some sort of special protection was accorded to the khazan lands. The State had the opportunity to make such a representation, but the Environment Department and Minister failed to do so. This is the result of a government ignorant of the importance and vulnerability of the ecosystems in the State. Will at least now somebody take up for the khazans?