PANJIM: The Water Resources Department on Friday submitted to the High Court of Bombay at Goa that nearly 30 hectares of agricultural fields affected by mining silt were brought back to original cultivation state.
The WRD’s status report before the High Court comes in response to a petition filed by the Shirgao villagers to reclaim the agricultural fields affected by mining silt and restore it to cultivable state.
The report also mentioned that environmental rehabilitation work to the tune of Rs 4.04 crore has been taken up in the mining affected village by using funds sourced through mining companies. Pune based Abhinandan Buildcon has been assigned the task of rehabilitation by reclaiming the agricultural fields affected by the mining silt, removing silt from rivulets, reconstruction of two sluice gates and cutting and removal of bushes from agricultural fields and paid Rs 1.67 crore so far.
The pace of work, the WRD explained, was affected due to COVID-19 pandemic but assured that the work is slated to be completed by March 2022.
Of the 3.73 kms of total length, 2.517 km, that is, nearly 67.4 per cent of desilting has been completed. Of the nearly 70 ha of fields, 30 ha have been desilted and brought under cultivation while desilting of remaining 40 ha will be completed by March 2022.
