CANACONA, MAY 30
Residents, especially farmers, of Palolem and Devabhag see the dangers of gelatin blasts reportedly carried out at Swami bandh to kill fish, which poses a serious threat to their farming activities in future.
The bandhara, locally called Swami bandh, is the only blockage available near the mouth of Palolem river, which helps to stop inflow of saline water entering paddy fields in all the cultivable areas of Palolem and Devabhag.
Farmers are wary in informing that several gelatin blasts are reportedly carried out nearby to the bandhara to kill fish, which have now posed a serious threat to the survival of the bandh built by the government over the years after repeated demands from farmers in the locality.
Previously, a locally built bandh used to serve the purpose to block entry of saline water in paddy fields in upper cultivable areas.
One farmer informed that blasting of gelatin sticks is a regular phenomenon on either sides of the bandhara, caring little for its safety.
Since the area is rich in different fishes, angling and net fishing is also taken up on its western side, besides some locals operate boat trips in local canoes to tourists during the season.
Big cracks have appeared on both sides of the bank of the bandhara. The foundation itself has gone shaky and is vulnerable to destruction.
Farming in the entire belt will suffer a serious jolt if the bhandara is not protected properly.
Sources informed that blasts are regularly carried out either in the early morning or afternoon or even in the evenings by different groups lifting huge quantity of killed fish.
“Fish killed with the blasts reportedly finds it way to fish market,” adds the sources.
“We had informed the authorities several times before, but blasting continues to take place unabated and unchecked,” informed some people in Palolem.
