At Arossim village in Survey No 129 on the eastern side, there is a centuries old pond of the Comunidade of Arossim. Decades ago, the free flowing and clean water was being used by diversion for cultivation of paddy in the adjoining fields twice a year for both Kharif and Rabi crops.
There were also fresh water fishes breeding in the pond where residents used to indulge in past time fishing activity with fishing rods and baited hooks. The fresh water fish from the pond was also being auctioned from time to time.
Over the years, due to soil erosion from the upper areas of surrounding land, the water of this pond has now become shallow, stagnant and filled with muck, slime, debris, overgrown wild vegetation, undergrowth, rotting and organic floating matter. Consequently, a foul odour emanates from this pond, especially in the rains.
During monsoon, the stagnant pond gets filled with algae, weeds, hyacinths and becomes a fertile breeding ground for vector-borne diseases like Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunia, Japanese Encephalitis, etc. At dusk, the swarm of mosquitoes in the area enters the houses located in the vicinity.
The residents are therefore forced to close the doors and windows of their houses soon after sunset. The irritating buzzing sound of these mosquitoes in the houses have made the lives of the residents of the area, especially the old and sick, miserable as they are unable to get a trouble-free sleep at night. The bedroom ceiling fans have also to be switched on to the maximum speed all night in order to get the benefit of a good night’s rest, resulting in hefty electricity bills.
The pond with connecting drains/nullahs belongs to the Comunidade of Arossim. However, since 1980, the ownership of such water bodies has been vested with the Water Resources Department. Though, the department is empowered with the statutory responsibility for repairs, renovation and restoration of water bodies, including nullahs and ponds, no attempts have been made in the past five decades to desilt and clean it. If this ground situation is ignored and allowed to continue, the possibility of it becoming a major health hazard to the residents cannot be ruled out.
Therefore, there is dire need before the ensuing monsoon to desilt and clean the Comunidade pond thoroughly and restore it to its original and pristine condition. Thereafter, guppy fishes could be released in the pond to control the mosquito larvae.
