PANAJI
Farmers and tenants of Aroba village led by one Vithoba Raul have complained to the Pernem mamlatdar against the alleged illegal fishing activities in agricultural tenanted land in the village of Tuem which they say is affecting their lives and livelihood.
In their complaint filed before the mamlatdar, Raul has said that the fishing activities have been carried out without any licenses/permission from the concerned department.
“As a result, of the farm on the agricultural land, the villagers have faced several hardships including saline water intrusion in drinking water wells and paddy fields, destruction of mangroves, deprival of community access to river Chapora for fishing, Air pollution including noise pollution from rotors, stench generated after drying of ponds,” Raul said in his complaint.
Raul has also alleged that to build the farm, tenanted land was diverted to non-agricultural use in violation of the provisions of the Goa Land Use Act 1991 so also the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act.
Back in 2017 one Jose Lobo had approached the Bombay High Court at Goa against the permissions granted to the shrimp farm. Lobo along with the Goa Foundation had sought the cancellation of the licence for a shrimp aquaculture farm at Tuem on grounds that the farm was causing pollution of drinking water wells and paddy fields, and it was located on tenanted land.
The petition was disposed off after the Goa State Coastal Aquaculture Committee told the High Court that it has recommended that the permission granted to operate a shrimp aquaculture farm at Tuem be withdrawn.
