Team Herald
MAPUSA: Guirim farmers on Saturday urged the government to help them in protecting and cultivating their fields.
They claimed that they have suffered loss after the highway expansion work was carried out at Guirim.
More than 50 farmers from Guirim are unable to cultivate their fields for last two years since their fields are flooded with water. They claimed that after the highway expansion work was carried out at Guirim, there is no way out left for the rainwater to flow into the drains resulting in the fields remaining flooded throughout the year.
Farmers further informed that even in this flooding situation, those farmers, who managed to cultivate their fields faced loses because the cultivated crop got destroyed because of the accumulated water in the fields.
They also informed that there is rivulet flowing from Saligao side to Guirim which pass through the fields. Water from this rivulet used to earlier flow ahead towards Socorro side. However, due to the haphazard work carried out by the highway contractor, this water flows directly into the fields which add to the flooding.
Farmers also claimed that the access road to the fields is also blocked and since there is no access road, they cannot enter into the fields and look after their fields and crops.
They also informed that they had received notices from PWD for compensation of land that is acquired for the construction of service road. However, till date they have not received any compensation amount.
“We visited the PWD office several times but nothing has happened till date,” a farmer Prakash said.
