BASURI DESAI
Farmers from four villages of Tiswadi are so affected due to the gross irregularities by the sluice gate operators in Neura, Azossim-Mandur, Corlim and Carambolim that now they are threatening the livelihood of hundreds of farmers besides destroying the ecological balance by making it impossible for farmers to cultivate the khazan land.
According to the villagers the concept of sluice came to Goa just to repair and maintain the ‘Bandh’ which acts as a protection wall between saline river water and the fields. The revenue, which is generated from the sluice gate by the tenant association, has to be spent on the Bandh but in the above mentioned villages it is exactly opposite what is witnessed.
Neither authorities nor the government is aware of the ground report of the village and how the villagers are suffering due to the selfish attitude of the sluice gate operator.
Every year the auctioning of the sluice gate takes place under the Taluka revenue head and the local famers bid for that. The highest bidder gets the yearly contract and the revenue collected goes to the local tenant association. Besides, the revenue which is collected from auctioning, government of Goa is also giving certain annual funds to maintain and repair the sluice gates. The condition of the Bandh is very bad and at many places it is about to collapse, say sources
Recently the representation was made to the Chief Minister of Goa by the affected farmers from the concerned villages to look into the matter and to take up immediate steps to control the menace.
Due to the said activity the traditional cultivation of rice crop had to be suspended for many years by almost all the farmers leading to livelihood problem.
Vishnu Naik, a local resident, said the coconut and other cultivations on the banks of khazan land are destroyed due to prolonged spell of saline water in the area. He said all the fresh water wells have become saline and has led to potable water shortage in the villages.
Another local resident Ilhas Pereira said there is uncontrolled growth of mangroves in the abandoned fields which have now become uncultivable. He also said that there is a steep rise crocodile population in the last one decade due to the water logging in the fields.
“The saline water has been diverted in the fields which led to the loss of crop during the season. There was a time when we used to produce paddy crop thrice a year but despite making several trips with to the Mamlatdar office, the situation has not changed so far,” said Sudhir Dhulapkar a local farmer.
He said the sluice gates should be opened only at the high tide but the operator for getting more income keeps the gate open all the time which fills the entire fields which are adjacent to the sluice gate.
Bandhs were constructed to protect the fields and sluice gates were given on auction to generate funds for the repair and maintenance of the Bandh, but unfortunately the purpose of having a sluice gate all but forgotten.
