SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
QUEPEM: With Xeldem villagers raising the Xeldem Lake issue in the recently held gram sabha, the Xeldem Panchayat and Xeldem Biodiversity Management Committee inspected the lake, as it has been identified as wetland, on Friday.
The Department of Environment and Climatic Change had given a draft notification on November 23, 2020 of five water bodies as wetland and under wetlands conservation and management among the five lakes Xeldem Lake was identified as wetland.
During the inspection, Assistant Professor of Chowgule College and Biodiversity Technical support member Deepak Kumbhar said that lacustrine deposits are associated with the lakes.
“Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They occur where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by water. Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments,” he further explained.
“Wetlands provide tremendous economic benefits, for example: water supply (quantity and quality); fisheries (over two thirds of the world’s fish harvest is linked to the health of coastal and inland wetland areas); agriculture, through the maintenance of water tables and nutrient retention in floodplains; timber production; energy resources, such as peat and plant matter; wildlife resources and recreation and tourism opportunities,” mentioned Kumbhar.
Xeldem Biodiversity Management Committee Chairperson John Travasso said that the issue was raised for delaying the process at gram sabha. On the issue, on Friday inspection took place and the notification will be discussed at the Coastal Zone Management Plan meeting to be held at Margao Ravindra Bhavan.
Sarpanch Caitan Lima said that due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period, this process was delayed.
Panchayat Secretary Ravindra Vadikar mentioned that January 18 was the last date to give suggestions or objections on the wetland in which Xeldem Lake is identify as wetland in Xeldem Panchayat area but nobody gave suggestions or objections within the time limit.
“Today inspection is done after questions were raised in gram sabha, but persons who raised the questions were not present,” Vadikar added.
Sarpanch, panchayat secretary, panchas, biodiversity members and Xeldem Zilla Panchayat member Siddhartha Desai was present during inspection of Xeldem Lake.
