But, an absence of industry ensures local inhabitants struggle to stay connected with the rest of the state from this remote, cut off area
A 30 kilometre road trip from Chinchinim via Betul takes oneto this rocky terrain marked by patches of green paddy fields. Farming is the majoroccupation in Gaval Khol where the rocky nature of land compels farmers to dumptruckloads of fertile soil on the rocks before growing crops. But the absenceof irrigation facilities and water harvesting projects means that the fields aredry when the monsoons fail.
“Our paddy fields will be dry this year” says Kanta Naik whogrows rice, onion, vegetables and chilly crops. “We have no other means oflivelihood, other than farming,” says Seema Zaraokar who cultivates a smallstretch of land owned by her family. Seema is lucky but most landless farmerstill some else’s land and receive a tiny share of the produce as remuneration.The cultivable land is 70 per cent, the rest lies fallow. “This year we havesowed 30 per cent less,” says Mayawati, who has been working in the fields forover 40 years. A shortage of water compels the farmers to look for alternatemeans of livelihood which, in reality, does not exist. A few like Gadu Vaizhave managed to get a job outside.
Gadu works as a computer operator at the Director of Sportsand Youth Affairs at Fatorda Stadium. He travels a distance of 100 kilometres everyday to reach his office in Margao. He is one of the few lucky tribals in GavalKhol to work in the government in addition to owning a motorbike.
Hailing from the Vaiz (doctor) community, Gadu is the onlyliterate person in his family. As the chairman of the Gaval Khol GovernmentHigh School PTA, Gadu supports the school’s demand for a playground and a hall.“As a kid I walked 8-10 kilometres every day to the Agonda primary school butthings haven’t changed much. Village children still walk to school” states Gaduwho has a water connection at home. Most of the village folk depends on springwater for drinking and cooking.
Most of the children in the lone government highschool in Gaval Khol live in the radius of 10 kilometres and walk to the school.In this village 40 villagers own two wheelers and two of them enjoy the luxuryof owning a car. Only two Kadamba buses ply twice a day along with a fewprivate operators. To be present every day, the teacher had to buy a scooter.There is no private or government dispensary either and no doctor who can becalled in for emergencies.
