Team Herald
PANJIM: Against the backdrop of flooding across a large portion of the coastal belt owing to Cyclone Ockhi, the State government has decided to protect Khazan lands from inundations. In view of this, Mamlatdars have been asked to study and submit a Khazan bundh safety report by December 25.
“We have asked the North and South Collectors to look into breaches in Khazan land. The Mamlatdars have been asked to give details of Khazan lands in their areas between December 20 and December 25,” Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Tuesday. The instruction comes with a warning that officers, who fail to meet the deadline, will be held liable for any untoward incident in their areas. “Responsibility will be fixed on those officers who do not submit the safety report. If there is any flooding or calamity, and the Khazan land is affected, action will be taken against the concerned officer,” he said.
According to a government study, Khazan lands are subject to inundation by the neighbouring river and hence these are protected by bunds. The bundh is usually a 2-2.5m high dam made of clayey soil from the marshlands or mudflats. “It protects the khazan from inundation with brackish water from the estuary at high tide, and also helps to maintain the water level in the khazan during the monsoon,” the report states.
Another component of Khazan land is the manas (sluice gate) which is a mechanism that allows water from internal water bodies to drain out into the neighbouring estuary during the low tide, while automatically closing during the high tide to prevent brackish water from entering the khazan. Manas acts as a one-way valve.
