CALANGUTE: Over 50 farmers are affected due to discharge of sewage into the fields at Naikawaddo near St Alex Church at Calangute. They have raised their concern to the village panchayat over the contamination of the agricultural fields.
The farmers allege their fields have been contaminated with sewage due to which they are unable to plough their fields during the ongoing monsoon season. What irks these farmers is the fact that despite highlighting their problems in 2017 the situation never improved and in fact deteriorated during the current monsoon season.
The culvert bringing in the water from Motant spring into these fields is also blocked and hence very less water is flowing. The farmers are also demanding that this culvert be cleared so they are able to cultivate their fields.
An aggrieved farmer, Alexio D’souza made a written complaint to the village panchayat of Calangute on Monday.
“For the last 15 years we are unable to plough or cultivate our paddy fields. The farmers from Calangute are facing the problem of water logging of paddy fields at Naikawaddo. Sewage is being released and the concerned authorities are not acting in the matter. They are trying to wipe out all the farmers from the paddy fields. Some houses have constructed toilets on the bandhs and are releasing sewage in the paddy fields,” said D’souza.
A local farmer said that every year the nullah gets choked and results in the overflowing of sewage into the fields located nearby. “For how many more years do we have to experience this? Despite making complaints if the authorities fail to take any action the stagnant sewage water will pose a serious health hazard to us as well as other locals residing near the fields at Naikawaddo. We therefore demand the health authorities and the Calangute panchayat to initiate prompt and necessary action to resolve this issue,” said a farmer on condition of anonymity.
Calangute Sarpanch Shawn Martins told Herald that they received a complaint about the discharge of sewage in the fields on Monday.
“We will be carrying out a site inspection on Tuesday to track the source. We will also inform the health officer to accompany us. Earlier in 2017 we had received a complaint about the same issue after which we investigated. Once we went to the site there was nothing seen,” said Martins.
