Once the backbone of Goa’s agricultural economy, the khazan lands—ancient, community-managed coastal wetlands—are under assault. The threat isn’t only natural or accidental. Illegal fish farming operators are now deliberately breaching protective bunds to flood fields with saltwater, destroying crops and rendering large tracts of farmland useless in the process. The ecological damage is compounded by the collapse of traditional maintenance systems, and the government has responded with its most ambitious intervention yet.
The newly released Khazan Land Management Plan (KLMP) lays bare the scale of the crisis: over 13,000 hectares of khazan lands are affected, with illegal activity accelerating degradation. The plan warns of “clandestine incidents whereby conditions are manipulated” to trap fish during high tide, and the destruction of bunds—some of which are centuries old—is often deliberate. In many areas, restoration attempts are sabotaged, with repairs reversed by repeat breaches days later.
To combat this, the State government plans to set up a Khazan Board with overriding authority on land use in khazan areas, bypassing existing Regional Plan (RP) and Outline Development Plans (ODPs) . While the Goa Land Use Act will still apply to agricultural tenancy lands, the board’s decisions will supersede the TCP Act in other zones. The urgency stems not only from environmental degradation but also from the loss of food security and livelihoods. Many farmers have walked away from the land due to rising salinity, declining viability, and unchecked encroachments.
Traditional khazan management—once a community-driven cooperative framework—has disintegrated since the Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1964, which, despite empowering tenants with land ownership, disrupted the collective system needed for bund upkeep and water regulation. Today, most Tenants’ Associations are defunct, and illegal operators have filled the vacuum, exploiting the lack of oversight and community engagement.
The khazan lands, with their intricate system of sluice gates, embankments and drainage, once supported rice, coconut, salt, and integrated aquaculture. Now, those same features are being used against them. Operators breach bunds to allow saline water to enter during high tide, trap fish and prawns, and leave behind a devastated landscape that can take years to recover. The resulting saline intrusion also threatens freshwater aquifers, especially during low rainfall years, with long-term consequences for inland agriculture and drinking water sources.
The board, which the Department of Environment will notify and for which it will serve as secretariat, will be established within six months. It will have the power to notify new land-use categories, order repairs, initiate legal action, and manage zoning based on scientific inputs. Its mandate will align with the CRZ 2011 Notification and Coastal Zone Management Plan and will be updated in response to climate and policy shifts.
The plan also highlights the role of urban encroachment. Near towns like Panaji, Margao, Calangute and Candolim, khazan areas have been degraded by construction waste, domestic garbage, and mining silt. In some places, bunds have been illegally levelled to make way for scrapyards or settlements. These pressures have compounded the damage from saltwater ingress and made restoration costlier.
Despite the bleak picture, some farmers have continued to grow rice and vegetables in less affected zones, showing that restoration is possible if illegal activity is checked and technical support is provided. The plan proposes targeted incentives, farmer training, and the revival of viable Tenants’ Associations. Traditional bund repair methods—developed over generations by the Gauda and other local communities—will be documented and integrated with modern materials and monitoring tools.
Yet, rebuilding the khazan system also means rebuilding trust. Decades of poor enforcement, weak coordination, and political interference have left many locals disengaged. The plan acknowledges this and introduces a phased monitoring system with biannual reviews and periodic assessments aligned with national coastal policies.
Climate change adds another layer of urgency. Sea level rise and stronger storms threaten to overwhelm already weakened bunds, while the loss of khazan wetlands would strip Goa of a vital buffer against floods and saline intrusion. These wetlands also sequester carbon and support biodiversity. The KLMP is not just a restoration blueprint; it is a last-ditch attempt to reclaim Goa’s self-reliant agricultural model and prevent irreversible loss. Its success hinges on whether the Khazan Board can exercise its authority decisively, stop repeat violators, and involve local communities meaningfully.