ASSAGAO: Taking a serious cognisance of the report appearing in O Heraldo about the inundation and destruction of fields in low lying areas in Sodiem and Marna in Siolim, and also the leaking Tillari Irrigation canal that was flooding the fields, WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar visited the village with department engineers to conduct a site inspection.
Shirodkar personally saw for himself the inundation of fields in Sodiem and also took note of the weeds and water hyacinths which have grown and also the tremendous leakage from the canal that had rendered the fields uncultivable, for the last many years.
Locals informed that over 300 hectares of fields from Sodiem and Marna was lying uncultivated due to the tremendous water leakage and the weeds growing in the field.
It was pointed out that prior to 30 years, all locals depended upon farming for their livelihood and would keep some of the harvest for themselves and sell the remaining grains and that’s how they earned their livelihood. However now the fields could not be cultivated due to this man-made destruction and the government should take some strong measures to revive farming in Sodiem.
Shirodkar heard the various aggrieved farmers and also inspected the fields and gave standing instructions to begin the work in the fields from December 26.
He assured the farmers that work to clean the fields and rectification of the canal also would start soon after Christmas and he would definitely work to see that the fields are restored to their original condition.
