Team Herald
MARGAO: The farmers from the affected areas of Nuvem and Dovandem participated in a crucial meeting with government agencies today, securing a commitment to complete a new sewerage line by March 2025. The resolution offers hope to agricultural communities who have suffered from sewage pollution in Bhogti Tollem for years, preventing them from cultivating Rabi crops during the November-December season.
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The Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa Limited (SIDCGL) and PWD Div XXI provided firm commitments to address the infrastructure challenges and stop pollution of the fields that grow food grains.
Nuvem Congress leader Everson Vales stated that the farmers also asked the government to provide compensation to those who have incurred losses over the past seven years due to cultivation stoppage.
The joint meeting held on Friday, which included the Salcete Deputy Collector, also noted ongoing work on sewerage connections in Fatorda.
Local farmers hope the committed timeline will allow them to resume agricultural practices and protect their critical water harvesting systems, which have been non-functional for several years.
The background reveals a longstanding issue affecting farmers in Fatorda and Nuvem. For over five years, the Bhogti Tollem area has suffered from leaking sewerage pipelines contaminating agricultural lands and preventing Rabi crop cultivation during the crucial November-December season. Vales had previously written to the South Goa Collector on November 8, 2024, detailing sewerage line malfunctions in Dovandem and the slow progress of infrastructure projects. The sewerage line issues have particularly impacted the region’s agricultural productivity and water management systems.
Citizens argue that the unresolved sewage management problems reflect systemic flaws in infrastructure planning and execution, which have had devastating consequences for the environment.
