ST ESTEVAM: Acting on objections raised by villagers of St Estevam over the alleged conversion of inner khazan bundhs into a six-metre wide road, government officials inspected the site.
According to locals, the problem began in November 2014, when trucks full of mud were found moving through the village.
“Soon after, the concrete slab at the sluice gate in Palnim Khazan, Jua, gave way and one of these trucks fell off the pathway. Despite this, iron gliders were placed on the sluice gate and the movements of mud-laden trucks continued,” said a native of St Estevam.
The locals became curious over this activity and observed that the inner bundhs of this khazan had been converted into a 6-mtr-wide road (yet to be asphalted).
Dissatisfied with the responses from the local panchayat, agriculture department and soil conservation division, the villagers formed the ‘St Estevam Gaunkars Forum’ and obtained facts under Right to Information Act.
The locals learnt that the inner bundhs, which were not even 2.5 mtrs in width, were converted into a 6-mtr road by some vested interests. They were further annoyed when they noticed that the proposed road on the broadened bundh would touch the side wall of the Jua cemetery.
Demanding answers regarding the controversial activity, a large number of people met the Mamlatdar of Tiswadi and the soil conservation division on February 9.
A joint hearing was held by the Mamlatdar of Tiswadi on February 11, with authorities concerned along with members of St Estevam Gaunkars Forum, the president of the Tenants Association, the engineers of the Soil Conservation Division and the contractor.
Accordingly, the Mamlatdar fixed a site inspection on February 20, at 4 pm, with the soil conservation division and the Tenants Association president.
During the inspection, locals claimed that the government officials noticed the gross irregularities in the Palnim Khazan behind the village cemetery. They also noticed the bundh at Vantso adjoining the Palnim bundh was more than 7 metres, but added that it is not under their jurisdiction as it was privately owned.
The agitating villagers demanded that no work be undertaken till the bundh is reverted to its original state and that, land filled with mud behind the cemetery is removed at the earliest.
In this regard, the residents have submitted their objections in a letter to the soil conservation division (Directorate of Agriculture) and Tiswadi mamlatdar, with copies forwarded to the Talathi (St Estevam), Church of St Estevam (Comunidade de Jua), Administrator of Comunidades (Tiswadi), Cumbharjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, North Goa MP Shripad Naik, GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro, the ministers for agriculture and water resources, Biodiversity Department and the CRZ authorities.
