GAURESH SATTARKAR
XELDEM: Farmers in the Xeldem area are lamenting over their losses as water from the Salaulim dam earmarked for irrigation has failed to reach their fields. The adverse weather conditions and poor water management has only added more miseries to the ryots here.
Though the region is connected by a 3.5 km Curchorem branch canal, the flow of water is extremely slow, leaving farmlands dry and unfit for cultivation. As a result, crops have withered and newly sown seeds have either been scorched with the summer heat or feasted upon by rodents and birds.
One of the most affected farmers, Sanjay Gawas Desai, has reported a loss of nearly Rs 15 lakh. He had taken 20 acres of Devashthan land on lease for Rs 2 lakh and sowed seeds which however failed to sprout due to the absence of irrigation.
Desai also invested Rs 10,000 in various vegetable seeds, all of which have gone to waste. In addition, his efforts to cultivate fodder failed completely, leading to another Rs 25,000 in losses.
The Water Resources Department irrigation canals in the area are reportedly dry, with some damaged and in need of urgent repairs.
Sanjay alleges that despite multiple delegations to the Chief Minister and other departments in April, and several follow-up visits to the WRD office, officials have failed to reach out to them. “The officials keep dishing out different excuses and direct us from one office to another but have failed to provide a solution to our woes,” he said.
Frustrated by the lack of response, Sanjay has warned that he would stage a protest in front of the Quepem Collector’s office if water from the canal is not provided immediately.
Local resident Prashant Desai highlighted that another sugarcane farmer has faced huge losses due to the water crisis. “Many farmers have given up farming here because they have no irrigation facilities. Our Sarpanch, Zilla Parishad member and local MLA are ignoring the situation. They must step in and address this issue immediately,” he said.
Other local farmers have expressed similar concerns and are calling on the authorities to intervene immediately and ensure fair and timely distribution of water from the Salaulim dam, in order to prevent further damage to crops and livelihoods.