Acting on a representation submitted by the Pale Tolem Xetkar Tenant Association (PTXA), the Agriculture Department on Monday carried out a joint inspection of sea water-inundated paddy fields at Bondpem, Pale, to assess the damage caused to agricultural land.
The inspection was conducted by officials from the Zonal Agriculture Office, Cortalim, in the presence of Cortalim MLA Anton Vas, Assistant Agriculture Officer Mahesh Kankonkar, Velsao Panch members Jim D'Souza and Remedios Noronha, along with local farmers and members of the PTXA.
The inspection follows a representation submitted by PTXA Chairman Roquezinho D'Souza to the Zonal Agriculture Officer, highlighting that the recent ingress of sea water had inundated large stretches of fertile paddy fields, rendering them unsuitable for cultivation and severely affecting the livelihood of tenant farmers.
D'Souza had requested the department to immediately assess the damage, initiate remedial measures, recommend long-term solutions to prevent recurrence of such incidents and extend eligible government assistance and compensation to the affected farmers.
A copy of the representation was also forwarded to Cortalim MLA Anton Vas, seeking his intervention.
Speaking during the inspection, Assistant Agriculture Officer Mahesh Kankonkar advised affected farmers to photograph the damaged crops and attach the images to the prescribed compensation application forms before submitting them to the department.
He said the applications would then be processed and forwarded to higher authorities for consideration of compensation.
Kankonkar further said farmers had requested the construction of a three-metre-wide access road through the fields to facilitate the movement of tractors and enable them to transport harvested produce without difficulty. He informed the farmers that the proposal could be considered under the Community Farming Scheme and requested the PTXA to submit the required details along with No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the concerned farmers.
MLA Anton Vas assured the farming community of his support and said every effort would be made to ensure that the affected farmers receive timely assistance and that measures are taken to safeguard agricultural lands from future sea water intrusion.
