Team Herald
VASCO: The Nautan Lake in Cortalim will soon get a new lease of life as the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) would carry out a detailed study on using its water for farming.
Similarly, the Water Resource Department would take up de-silting. Besides that, the Cortalim-Quelossim panchayat has assured strict action against the households or commercial premises that release sewage and other effluents into the lake.
These initiatives come after an inspection of the lake by RDA Minister Alina Saldanha, on Tuesday.
The inspection was held following complaints from the local farmers, who complained that they weren’t getting enough water due to accumulation of silt near the mouth of sluice; and whatever water they received was full of effluent that has been causing them skin diseases.
“Earlier, we used to cultivate our fields thrice a year. However, due to accumulation of silt in the lake, we are forced to cultivate our fields only two times a year. And these days we have been receiving very less water; we fear that if the issue is not resolved, then, our crops would destroy. Considering this very fact we decided to call upon the elected leaders as well as other officials from state administration asking them to come to our rescue otherwise more than 300 farmers from Cortalim would face severe loss this season,” said Anthony Miranda, a member of Cortalim Comunidade tenants association.
After verifying the situation and giving patient hearing to the famers and locals, Minister Saldanha gave directed the WRD as well as TERI officials to take up their respective works, timely. Even the panchayat has been asked to take action against all those who have been polluting the lake by releasing effluents.
