SANTOSH NAIK
PONDA: Around 500 farmers attached to Kul Sangatan Bar Amre Khazan Tenant Association are in distress after a riverside bandhara breached during high tide which resulted in entire khazan paddy field at Marcaim getting submerged under saline water.
It may be recalled that on Christmas Eve, Shiddote farmers had also complained of their vast paddy cultivation getting submerged following a breach of a bandhara.
The 500 farmers have urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik and local MLA and Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar to provide immediate help in restoring bandhara to protect their paddy field.
The farmers demanded that the government compensate them for the damage caused to their fields due to bandhara breach.
They said that all farmers had ploughed their field for rabi cultivation. However all their hard work went in vain as for past fortnight their paddy field is submerged and they cannot cultivate rabi and feared that if this situation prevailed, it would be difficult to cultivate kharif.
Premanand Gaude said, “Due to high tide, the bandhara breached. If the bandhara is not repaired and restored, the khazan land would turn infertile.”
Gaude said, “On account of the farmers committee’s failure in maintaining the bandhara, the farmers are suffering. The farmers had complained to the Mamlatdar to protect their field but in vain. The tenure of committee looking after khazan land is three years. However, the same old committee is looking after the affairs for past five years.”
He said, “To come out with a solution, the farmers have convened an urgent meeting at Marcaim on January 8. They have urged the Ponda Mamlatdar and all stakeholders to attend the meeting to come out with a solution at the earliest.”
The women said some farmers had cultivated vegetables, which have been affected.
