Santosh Naik
santosh@herald-goa.com
PONDA: Around two decade ago, Ponda’s main creek flowing from Ponda city into the villages of Kavlem, Bandora was considered the lifeline for farmers, but with urbanisation and rise in population in the city , the main creek is slowly turning into garbage dumping and disposal site.
And all the waste released into the creek from the municipal area flows towards villages at Kavelm and Bandora.
In fact, all types of waste is dumped into the creek from Ponda Market area and residential areas in the city, which has led to the pollution of the creek.
The polluted water now stinks of organic and non-organic waste and garbage dumped into it.
When the creek flows further from the villages at Kavlem and Bandora, where farmers cultivate their paddy fields, depending on water from the creek, the smell and the waste makes it difficult for them to use that water, filled with garbage, for cultivation.
More than 300 farmers depend upon this creek for agriculture and now have opted out from cultivating their paddy fields due to the polluted water from the creek, which not only stinks but carries various harmful elements and makes it unfit for cultivation.
Some farmers have also complained of health problems when they came in contact with this dirty, pollutant-laden water from the creek.
The creek which flows down 12 kms to four villages originates from Bethora and then flows to Curti, Ponda municipal area, Kavlem panchayat and finally at Bandora, where it water merges into River Zuari
According to Kavlem Sarpanch Rajesh Kavlekar the contaminated water flowing from the municipal area into the village panchayat has put the agricultural activities into hardship and trouble.
He said farmers were now reluctant to undertake agricultural activities due to the heavy pollution and garbage which the creek carries from Ponda city area, including heaps of plastic waste, organic waste, to villages.
Due to this, agricultural activities were affected and people were forced to keep their fertile land fallow due to polluted water that carries an unbearable stink, he said, adding that Ponda municipality should a large steel net in the creek to prevent the waste and garbage from the city entering into Kavlem village panchayat.
The sarpanch said a week ago Kavlem Panchayat had desilted the creek and almost spent about Rs 6 lakh to carry out the operation.
According to Nilesh Naik, a farmer, what was once considered the main supply of potable water and main source of water for agricultural activities had due to negligence and people’s careless attitude, turned into a dumping site for all kinds of garbage, waste and sewage.
The 12-km-long Ponda creek, which passes through Ponda town and four villages, including Bethora, Curti, Ponda town, Kavlem and Bandora, before flowing into River Zuari was once the lifeline for people in these areas, as people depended on its water for drinking, cleaning and irrigation purposes, he says, adding that the creek is now heavily polluted with all kinds of waste material and authorities need to take strict action against those dumping waste into the creek.
In fact, farmers from the region have also demanded that authorities should stop houses and commercial establishments from releasing their waste into the creek.
