THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
The Agriculture Department has finally commenced the long-awaited repair work on the Calizor and Attafondem bundh in Moira, a move that promises to provide significant relief to local farmers and residents.
The 2.83 km-long bundh, along with two sluice gates, will be rehabilitated at a tendered cost of Rs 10.87 crore.
The key components of the project include strengthening the bundh with a retaining wall and the installation of two sluice gates.
These repairs are expected to benefit around 150 families and safeguard approximately 50 hectares of agricultural land that had been prone to salinity due to breaches in the bundh.
The saline water intrusion had severely affected both agricultural fields and well water, posing a major threat to the local farming community.
At the inauguration of the bundh repair work, Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira highlighted the urgent need to address the state of dilapidated bundhs across Goa in order to protect the agricultural sector.
Ferreira emphasised the extensive efforts he had made to ensure the project’s approval, citing significant bureaucratic hurdles at the Secretariat level that often delay crucial initiatives.
“The Agriculture Department is genuinely concerned about the state of agriculture, but bureaucratic delays from the Secretariat level result in project files getting caught in loops, slowing down progress,” Ferreira said.
He revealed that the proposal for the repairs had been pending for several years.
The MLA further explained that breaches in the bundh lead to saline water seeping into the fields and wells, destroying crops and contaminating drinking water.
To expedite the process, Ferreira had suggested to the Agriculture Minister and the North Goa Collector that bundh and sluice gate repairs be undertaken under disaster management protocols for quicker execution.
He stressed the need for an overhaul of the existing system to overcome these bureaucratic delays.
Local resident Mahesh Satlekar expressed relief at the commencement of the repair work, noting that farmers had long suffered due to water intrusion that caused significant losses.
He said the repairs would provide much-needed relief to the community.
The event was attended by several key figures, including Director of Agriculture Sandeep Faldesai, Moira Sarpanch Sagar Naik, other panchayat members and officials from the Agriculture Department.
