KARSTEN MIRANDA
MARGAO: Farmers from Loutolim and Borim villages have approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa, contesting the construction of the new Borim Bridge project through their traditional khazan fields. The action escalates their year-long legal battle following attempts to secure relief through the National Green Tribunal.
The petitioners, predominantly from tribal and indigenous communities, are challenging land acquisition notifications issued under the National Highways Act on October 19, 2023, and October 11, 2024. At stake is the protection of over 157,000 square metres of ecologically sensitive khazan lands.
The economic impact on local communities could be devastating. The Carbot, Cantor, Macasana & Bebdo Tenants Association alone produces 273,000 kg of organic brown rice annually from the affected lands, valued at over Rs 2.18 crore. Additionally, fishing rights at just two sluice gates - Carbot and Cantor - generate nearly Rs 60 lakh in annual revenue for the community.
Seven Tenants Associations currently cultivate the khazans of Loutulim. The proposed construction will destroy about 10 hectares of khazans belonging to the Carbot Cantor Mascasana and Bebdo Tenants Association and the entire khazans of Atliom Khazan Tenants Association, while severely impacting the remaining five Tenants Associations' lands, making their cultivation financially unviable.
Over 4,000 indigenous residents, fully dependent on these khazans for survival, face displacement or loss of livelihood. Many of these affected individuals belong to Scheduled Tribes, whose rights are protected under various laws, including the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Court documents suggest the bridge construction may actually be part of a larger plan to expand coal handling capacity at Mormugao Port from 12 MTPA to 50 MTPA by 2025. Coal is likely to be moved through various jetties along the Zuari River, potentially affecting multiple villages including Sanvordem, Panchawadi, and Shiroda, the petition points out. The petitioners argue that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and other respondents have bypassed mandatory environmental clearances and failed to consider viable alternatives that would cause less environmental damage.
The petition also brings to light historical injustices in land ownership. While the khazan lands have been cultivated by tribal and indigenous communities for generations, their names are only recorded as agricultural tenants in land records. The ownership remains with the Comunidade of Loutolim, which was originally the Gaonkari (community land) of these communities but was allegedly usurped by other communities in what the petitioners describe as a historical injustice.
According to the Goa State Action Plan on Climate Change, approximately 15% of Goa's land is already under threat of frequent floods, storms, and submergence. The khazan lands play a crucial role in climate adaptation, and destroying these lands could compromise Goa's ability to face climate challenges.
The petitioners have sought immediate interim relief to stay the land acquisition process and protect their continued possession of the lands.