Farmers and villagers of Loutolim maintain a vigil at the khazan lands in anticipation of a demarcation exercise scheduled on Thursday.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The proposed demarcation exercise for the new Borim bridge could not kick-start on Thursday as PWD officials played truant, but beleaguered farmers and villagers of Loutolim maintained strict vigil along the khazan fields to convey a message loud and clear to the government on their opposition to the bridge through the fields.
The farmers and villagers also unveiled their plans to knock on the doors of the courts, including the National Green Tribunal (NGT) if the PWD hands them orders rejecting their objections to the land acquisition for the proposed high-level bridge.
Loutolim villagers further said they are working in tandem with their Borim counterparts across the river Zuari, saying the villagers on the other side of the bridge too are opposed to the new bridge.
Anticipating a visit by PWD officials along with officials of the Land Survey department to conduct the demarcation exercise, a large number of farmers descended in their Khazan fields to stage a protest against the exercise. Shouting slogans against the bridge through the khazans, they demanded the scrapping of the existing bridge alignment with a plea to the government to come out with an alternative alignment.
Since the scheduled demarcation could not take place, they spoke to the media to send a message loud and clear not to play with the sentiments of the farmers and the villagers, asserting they would never allow the bridge to see light of the day through the Khazan fields.
A farmer Alberto Pinheiro told the media that around 90 farmers will be affected if the bridge is constructed through the khazan land. “The entire khazan land will be destroyed. Farmers have been cultivating these khazan fields for decades now. We have a registered association, which is paying income tax,” he said.
Saying that the farmers had as many as three meetings with the PWD Principal Chief Engineer, Parsekar and local MLA, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira to finalise an alignment which is feasible and does not destroy the fields, Pinheiro said the government is planning the demarcation against their sentiments.
To a question whether the farmers have knocked on the doors of the judiciary, Pinheiro said, "We are waiting if the PWD rejects our objections to the land acquisition before moving court. The PWD has no permission to execute the project through the khazans and CRZ. Even the EIA is not done as yet,” he said, adding that the farmers will challenge the PWD orders before the NGT if it rejects their objections.
On the MLA’s stand over the demarcation, Pinheriro said the farmers had a meeting at Sequeira's residence. “Right now, our MLA is abroad. We will call on him after his return and brief him over the issue. We do not know how much he will help us to save our khazans and the village,” he said.
A villager Lalita Fernadnes wondered why the government is taking away the fields of farmers when the agriculturists want to protect their farms for posterity.
Former Loutolim sarpanch Xavier Fernandes said the villagers and farmers had come out to tell the government that the villagers are all united against the new Borim bridge “The people are all united. The Loutolim panchayat is with the agitating people and will never allow the bridge to come up through the khazan fields,” he thundered.
He added: “Our message to the government is clear – Do not play with the sentiments of the people and do not take the bridge through the khazan fields and destroy the agriculture and pisciculture. Hundreds and thousands of villagers from Loutolim and other villages will flood the roads in the coming days if the government sticks to its plan of building the bridge through the khazan fields.”
Loutolim Sarpanch San Francisco Fernandes, ex-sarpanch Joana Fernandes and panchayat members also participated in the protest.
