the goan I network
MARGAO
Agitated residents of Guirdolim and Chandor have served a 10-day deadline on the district Collector, South to direct the Railways to clear the mud debris from the Folli lake by May 20 or face action.
Enraged over the attitude of the Indian railways in bulldozing its way by filling up the lake, more so the Handi, the villagers opposed the double tracking of the railway line and questioned the implementation of the 2011 law to procure the land when the very Act was limited to a particular period.
Led by former Guirdolim Sarpanch Agostinho Antao, the aggrieved villagers called on district Collector, Ajit Roy and handed over to him a memorandum, drawing his attention to the filing up of the rivulet with mud. They feared that the land filling activity is posing danger to the low-lying areas of Folli, saying there’s every possibility of the entire area getting inundated during the monsoons.
“Traditionally, the water from the Folli lake would flow into the Kishavati river throughout the year via the rivulet ( a tributary of Kushavati river). But, the lake outlet is blocked with the land filing. During the rainy season, the rain water flows into the lake from Guirdolim as well as the other neighbouring village, Chandor, Sao Jose de Areal, Curtorim,” the memorandum submitted to the Collector stated.
Agostinho recalled that the 1979 floods had devastated the area with a number of houses crumbling down in Colloso ward of Gurdolim, while making a humble plea to the district authorities to get the railways clear the mud from the rivulet and allow the water to flow in its normal course.
He pointed out that during the site inspection with the local MLA Clafacio Dias, the railways were told by the villagers to clear the Handi of the debris, but the railway officials insisted that the area belongs to the railways.
“This attitude is totally unacceptable. The survey plan shows that the Handi and the lake was existing during the Portuguese era much before the railways had started operations. During the gaunkarial system, the water from the rivulet was used to irrigate the fields”, he added.
“The Collector has sought some time to allow him to have a meeting with the railway officials. If required, the Collector has said he would invite us for discussions,” Agostinho said, but warned that the authorities should clear the land filing by May 20 before the locals take further action.
In the meantime, a local resident Joel Fernandes told the media that the railways have entered the property without the consent of the people and the owners. “The cannot invoke a law whose scope was limited to the year 2011. They cannot enter into someone’s property under the guise of consent from the owners”, he said.
When the media sought the comment of the Collector Ajit Roy, he only said he would examine the matter before making a statement on the issue. He further said that he cannot give any deadline to
resolve the issue.
