MAPUSA: It’s been three years the farmers of Siolim are facing the problem of water logging in their fields.
The fields covering an approximate area of thousand acres are water logged and due to this the farmers are unable to use tractors and other machines and as such they have stopped cultivating their fields. They have approached many authorities for help but there seems to be no solution in sight.
A farmer complained saying, “I was cultivating 12 fields owned by 12 different people at a time but now we cannot cultivate even one because the fields are filled with water, and the current situation has made it difficult to cultivate anything. If this problem is solved then I am ready to cultivate the field again”.
Expressing similar sentiments, another farmer said, “The fields have been waterlogged as there is no source for the water to flow. In such situation we cannot cultivate anything. Only those fields where the water level is normal are being cultivated by some farmers to grow vegetables”.
Murari, president of Siolim Farmers’ Association said, “Earlier, the farmers use to construct around 7 to 8 bundhs which use to control the water flow from Cuchelim to Marna. Now, since many farmers from Cuchelim have stopped farming and have taken up white collared jobs, the construction of bundhs has stopped due to which water does not flow and gets accumulated in the fields.”
He further said, “We have contacted the concerned Talathi and also the Agriculture Department but no action has been taken as yet. The Irrigation Department should survey the fields to find a solution to the problem. If both the irrigation and agriculture departments encourage the farmers from Cuchelim area to build the bandhs compulsorily and commence farming then the remaining farmers can resume farming.”
Marna Siolim sarpanch Alba Sequeira said, “Mamlatdar has to send the talathi to ascertain the problem. From many years, the fields have been left uncultivated because most tenants have stopped farming and taken to white collared jobs and other service. The talathi should study the matter and send a report to mamlatdar for initiating any action”.
Talathi Santana Borges said, “It’s the comunidade or the farmers’ association that has to act on this issue. They should approach the Zonal Agriculture Department and only after getting instructions from the agriculture department only then I can go ahead in initiating action”.
