Aims to revive farming, prevent flooding in the village
MAKING WAVES: An amphibious excavator gets down to work, clearing water channels and desilting the rivulet bed in Bastora.
MAPUSA
In what has come as a major relief to the long-neglected farming community of Bastora, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has finally taken up desilting of a three-kilometre-long rivulet that had remained clogged with silt and thick vegetation for nearly three decades.
The long-awaited work, which also covers the adjoining Nagadi Poi (Nagadi pond) in St Cruz ward, is expected not only to rejuvenate the water body but also to mitigate flood risks in the area during the monsoon. Over the past several years, farmers in Bastora were forced to abandon cultivation on vast stretches of fertile land after the rivulet and pond became heavily silted and overrun with weeds.
The stagnation of rainwater in the clogged pond led to frequent flooding of the surrounding fields, leaving them unfit for farming. What was once a thriving agricultural zone gradually turned barren, with cultivation coming to a standstill.
The WRD officials deployed heavy machinery, including an amphibious excavator, to clear the water channels and desilt the rivulet bed.
The operation, launched from the main PWD road up to Nagadi Poi, marks the first major effort in decades to restore the water flow in the area.
“This has been a long-pending demand of the local farmers. With the rivulet now being cleaned, we are hopeful that agriculture will once again return to these fields after so many barren years,” a local resident told The Goan, expressing cautious optimism.
The initiative has been driven in large part by the efforts of the Bastora panchayat, with Sarpanch Rakhi Naoroji playing a key role in pushing the authorities to act on the long-standing demand.
The sarpanch further said that restoration of the rivulet and pond would not only benefit the local farmers but also serve as a measure for flood control, as the excess rainwater will now find a natural outlet. The desilting drive has already drawn appreciation from villagers, who believe that the rejuvenation of the rivulet will provide a new lease of life to Bastora’s agrarian community.
