Team Herald
CARMONA: A group of distressed farmers from the coastal villages of Carmona, Varca and Orlim have appealed to their local Benaulim NCP MLA Churchill Alemao to initiate immediate to draw the attention of the South Goa Collector to conduct a site inspection of the rain water channel obstructions, paddy crop damage, permission to remove mangroves from rain water channel and to issue a notice to the Navy for opening the water way.
They also urged to inform the WRD officials to conduct a site inspection and repair of the retaining wall of rain water channel, to install footbridges and sluice gate to stop reverse river water flow, repair the River Sal bund breaches to stop the flow of Sal water in the paddy fields and fresh water ponds and to stop the soil erosion. The Carmona, Varca and Orlim farmers have suffered a loss in paddy field cultivation due to the stagnation of water in the paddy fields because there is no smooth flow of rain water to River Sal. This rain water comes from the villages of Varca and Orlim through the water channel known as ‘Dangafoli’ and connects to ‘Jangdaolli’ which leads further to River Sal. The entire water channel retaining wall from Varca to Cavelossim is constructed by rubbles and in some places, the retaining wall has collapsed and the flow of water has stagnated. In this water channel, the trees, mud, plastic has also accumulated, thereby, obstructing the flow of water.”
“The rain water flow is further restricted due to the construction of a culvert where the water enters the Navy area and the garbage is dumped as the Navy boundary wall has collapsed,” stated the Rodrigues duo.
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