SIOLIM: Tempers ran high at the Siolim-Sodiem gram sabha on Sunday, with members and farmers raising their voice against the destruction caused by the TillariIrrigation Project to their fields.
The villagers said that the so-called irrigation is a white elephant and has served no practical purpose, but instead has inundated fertile fields in the village for the last two decades and reduced them to swamps and breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
SarpanchDeepaPednekar agreed to what the villagers had to say and informed them that the panchayat had written to the authorities concerned asking for a site inspection and a meeting with farmers. However, she added that there has been no feedback from the Water Resources Department (WRD). This infuriated the gram sabha members, who reiterated their demand for a compensation from WRD for damaging the village fields and stated that “those who pollute the environment should restore it to its original status and compensate the farmers with interest for the losses sustained over the last two decades”. They also demanded that the panchayat take legal advice on the matter, file an FIR against those responsible for damaging their land, and, if the need arises, to knock at the doors of the court.
The villagersalso demanded that no construction be allowed in the command area of the Tillari irrigation project, and called for a drone survey of the illegal constructions on the hill.
Constant traffic snarls along the Sodiem-Mapusa road, the ‘disappearance’ of the board banning the entry of heavy vehicles from 7 am to 7 pm, and the absence of the Anjuna and Mapusa traffic police near the Gaunsavaddo-Marna link road during peak hours drew flak. The annoyed villagers demanded that the department initiate action against the police for failing to regulate traffic during school hours. It was also brought to the notice of the panchayat that even ambulances get caught in the traffic jams along the Sodiem-Mapusa road.
All hell literally broke loose over the widening of the link road that runs cheek-by-jowl to the Holy Cross High School, with the gram sabha members charging that it was widened without application of mind, and as a result of which the students were suffering due to the noise and dust pollution created by the movement of vehicles. Parents who attended the gram sabha in large numbers pointed that classes are forced to be held by shutting the windows, therefore suffocating their wards who constantly fall sick due to the dust. They demanded that the panchayat write to the Goa Human Rights Commission and the Child Rights Committee to take up the issue in the interest of the school children.
Members also demanded that the licences of bike-borne anti-social elements creating nuisance to school students and others in Maina and Aframentvaddos be revoked and stern action be initiated against the violators.DySarpanchNileshVaigankar stated that the panchayat was with the people on this issue and would take up the issue with higher ups.
The issue irregular water supply and power cuts too was debated with members demanding that officials of both the departments be summoned for the next gram sabha and made to face the public. They stated that constant power cuts had damaged electrical appliancesand sought for compensation.
Field worker of the Social Welfare Department Prasad Sawant was deployed as the observer while Panchayat Secretary AkilMahalker read and confirmed the minutes of the gram sabha.
