Balance between mangroves and people needs to be re-established
The four islands of Chora, Divar, Vanxim and St Estevam are perhaps the most beautiful. All are virtually cut out from the mainland due to the lack of bridges and the only way of getting across is on a slow-moving ferry. In the case of Vanxim one has to catch two ferries to get to the island which is cumbersome and the inconveniences that come with being cut off override the peace and quiet of living on these islands.
Chorao is particular has a huge swath of mangrove forests which grew over the years, drew birds and eventually became the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. All this happened almost by accident or perhaps, was nature’s way of blessing the island with something beautiful. However, the gradual expansion of mangroves is beginning to worry islanders who have limited land holdings and are concerned about the loss of khazan lands.
Studies indicate that khazan lands were taken over by settled communities by cutting mangroves and building bunds. The land acquired by this method was used for farming and fishing. Eventually a landlord-peasant relationship emerged with the landlord providing the resources to maintain the bandhs and the peasant providing the labour. This relationship broke down after passage of the tenancy act and the government took over the role of landlord with tenant associations providing labour. It did not work very well and a lot of bandhs fell into a state of decay and mangroves started re-claiming their habitat.
Farmers in Chorao are rooting for a return to khazan farming and fishing. These two activities were the mainstay in the past, but the growth of a modern economy has changed the relationship with the land. A greater fear is that if nothing is done to arrest the advance of mangroves, more land will be taken over by this salt-resistant plant.
While mangroves elsewhere in the country and world are under threat, the area in Goa has increased. The total area covered by estuaries is around 12,000 hectares of which mangrove forest occupy 2,000 hectares. About 900 hectares of mangroves are found in the Zuari estuary, 700 hectares along the Mandovi and 200 hectares along the Cumbarjua canal. Mangroves form a natural barrier and protect the islands from tides and erosion caused by barge movement.
However, the problem faced by Chorao and the other islands is ingress of mangroves with no natural barriers to stop this growth. The spread of mangroves is dependent on tidal movement and they thrive when salinity increases. Breaching of bunds in Vanxim has resulted in about half the island being invaded by mangroves. Chorao is luckier. The growth of mangroves on private land eventually turned into the bird sanctuary, but the question is do we allow the growth to continue or build internal bandhs which would serve as a natural boundary and set limits for mangrove forests?
A deeper study of mangroves in Chorao and their relation to residents is essential to establish the limits. Secondly, if the beauty of these islands is to be harnessed for the common good is the same way the khazan lands were used in the ancient past, then economic activity has to be generated, perhaps, through eco-tourism projects, but without destroying agriculture of fishing activity.
