Quest to save Goa’s rapidly diminishing ‘khazan’ treasures

hazans, the century’s old marvels, are considered as the most threatened amongst all natural ecosystems of the State. It is estimated that about 4,000ha of khazans are lost over the last thirty years. Goa government is now on a mission to protect khazan lands that are spread across 18,000 hectares (Ha), which is about 5 per cent of the State's total geographical area.  

While several factors have already led to the destruction of these lands; what came as a shocker for the State was that the new Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Rules, notified in January, makes no mention of these reclaimed lands from the river or the sea.

Also, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has re-defined these ‘lands’, by marking them as tide-influenced water bodies, which is against its age old phenomenon where they are protected from the tides by network of dykes and sluice gates.  

References of the old khazan lands are found in land grants of ancient rulers of Goa, such as Prithvimalla Varman (400 AD) Anirjit Varman (500 AD) and Gandagopala (1106 AD); which mention khazan fields of Divar Island and Ponda taluka.

This shows that the technologies of soil reclamations from marshy lands and construction of embankments and sluice gates was well developed in ancient Goa.

As per the study conducted by Dr Nandakumar Kamat it has been noted that comunidades owned 6,386 ha of khazan lands in 1967, whereas approximately 2,500ha of khazan lands belonged to private individuals. This gives an indication that about 9000ha of khazan lands, which the State believes are owned by the Government or leased by the Hindu and Christian religious bodies, private institutions, etc. The comunidade controls over 6,386 ha of khazan lands.

To enlighten the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) about the importance of these khazans to Goa's ecology, the State Agriculture Department has prepared a detailed report on the khazans and how they are under threat. 

A senior agriculture officer said that a number of ongoing development activities and the rapid socio-economic changes since liberation have adversely affected khazan lands.

Deforestation in upper river basins, uncontrolled urban growth, man-made pollution of estuaries, heavy barge traffic in Mandovi and Zuari rivers, encroachments on wetlands/marshy lands, uncontrolled and illegal pisciculture and other development related activities have adversely affected khazans in the State.

Officer said that negligence towards khazan or environmentally destructive development will sooner or later, have a negative socio-economic impact. "It must be recognized that it is becoming increasingly difficult to conserve khazan lands in the absence of a comprehensive, integrated framework for policy, planning and management such as an ‘Integrated Khazan Management Programme’, which our department is now working on," the officer added. 

HERALD has got into the detail project report prepared by the State Agriculture department with regards to the present status of these khazans.  

Agriculture Dept’s report on Khazan lands:

Uncontrolled Urban growth: Khazan lands near the urban areas of Panjim, Mapusa, Margao, Calangute, Candolim were found to be under significant developmental pressure. Vast areas have been filled on the outskirts of Panjim. Khazans near Caranzalem have been cut off from the levelled sand-dunes and are in the process of being filled up. The low-lying khazan lands between Rua-de-Ourem creek to the Chimbel creek near Panjim and those close to Mapusa River and Mapusa town may be filled up soon. In some cases, entire rivulets on the outskirts of these cities were found to be blocked due to filling. This may cause stagnation saline water in the low-lying fields near Panjim and Mapusa, besides causing drainage problems during the monsoon in these cities.

 Man-made pollution of estuaries: The major source of estuarine pollution was found to be sediment originating from the exposed or reject dumps in the mining areas near Valvoi, Amona, Narva, Khandepar and Mandovi rivers. 

Also, the huge load of domestic sewage, which is discharged in the creeks near urban areas, causes problems for the biota of the khazan land. Dumping of the surplus fish catch by some trawlers in rivers and the creeks is another problem of recent origin. The putrefying fish find their way with tidal currents in the khazan lands and their open air decomposition pollutes the environment, besides creating ‘Blue-Bottle’ fly nuisance.

Some of the abandoned khazan lands near the municipal areas are used for municipal and market garbage dumping or dumping of useless demolished building material.

Heavy-barge traffic in Mandovi, Zuari Rivers and the Cumbarjua canal: 

This is well known and suspected to be the major cause of erosion and consequent deterioration of external bunds. Majority of khazan lands in Bardez, Tiswadi, Ponda, Bicholim and Salcete talukas have been affected due to heavy barges traffic. 

Encroachments on wetlands/ marshy lands: 

Man-made encroachments in the form of unauthorized constructions on embankments or in the khazan farms is a recent and alarming phenomenon. Khazan wetlands or marshy lands near the cities and villages which act like natural soak-pits have been encroached upon indiscriminately. Khazan lands near the commercial centres or highways have been leased out for display of large number of advertisement hoardings. Khazan lands have also been converted into temporary or permanent play grounds, storage yards, exhibition grounds and parking places without assessing the loss of their productive potential and the ecological impact.

Destruction of drainage systems: 

Development projects in the transport and communication sector such as, construction of roads, highway bypasses, bridges, culverts and railway tracks need to take into consideration the overall, integrated drainage profile when khazan lands are used. Blockage of existing, traditional drainage systems may render the khazan farms useless. 

Uncontrolled and illegal 

pisciculture: 

Unfortunately, in modern times, development is considered synonymous to the achievement of high profit margins on low capital investment without accounting for the huge social and environmental costs involved. Khazan lands of Goa have become investment centres for illegal pisciculturists. The private khazan lands are used for pisciculture on a large-scale. In Bardez, Salcete, Ponda and Mormugao, private ‘temple/church’ and comunidade khazan lands are being used for uncontrolled pisciculture.

Several khazans in Pernem, Bardez and Mormugao talukas were found flooded for more than 15 years. Many of the constantly flooded khazan landscapes have been reverting back to their original marshy mangrove ecology. 

Uncontrolled extraction of mud, oyster shells etc: 

Mud from the intertidal region near khazan lands or estuarine area is a recyclable resource. However, ditches made in the khazan farms for mud excavation cause prolonged stagnation of saline water and loss of top soils. Such ditches have been observed near the bund ‘repair/construction’ sites allotted to private contractors, who don’t take the trouble of mining the mud from selected inter-tidal regions or estuarine beds. This problem is noticed in Pernem, Bardez and Tiswadi khazan farms. 

Problem of unauthorized slums, scrapyards, junkyards, etc:

Khazan bank embankments near Chimbel, Merces, Panjim (Tiswadi); Colvale, Mahakhazan (Bardez and Pernem), Sancoale (Mormugao) have been attracting slums and scrapyards. These unauthorized scrapyards store, sort and dispose many non-biodegradable and hazardous objects in the estuaries, which supply feed water for salt-pans and food for fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Slums housing the labour force from neighbouring States that have developed on estuarine bunds lead to irreversible degradation of mangroves due to their indiscriminate exploration for fuel wood and fodder. 

Impact of other development 

related activities: 

The barrage built by the State Bridge Corporation in the Mandovi River near the bridge site has caused a ‘bottleneck’ effect in the upstream estuarine area. Visits to Chorao and Divar khazan farms confirmed this. The barrage might have caused considerable erosion of external bunds on Chorao and Divar islands.

Non-clearance of the sand –bar near Aguada by systematic dredging was cited as one of the caused for stagnation of saline water in low- lying khazan farms in the western part of Tiswadi Island.

Socio-economic factors: Comparative assessment of the status of khazan lands near urban centres and those in rural settings confirmed our strong belief that the socio-economic fall outs of rapid post-liberation development scenario in the State have already affected our agricultural productivity and way of life. 

Most of the agricultural families near our urban centres and to some extent even in villages have developed alternate sources of income.

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The value of khazan lands