MAPUSA
A large number of agricultural fields were inundated with saline water after a sluice gate got damaged in Corjuem-Aldona on Monday night.
The farmers in Corjuem woke up on Tuesday morning to find their fields inundated with saline water, after the doors of a sluice gate gave way late Monday night.
The doors of Asnai sluice gates collapsed late Monday night during the high tide, resulting in saline water entering into the fields in Corjuem.
The large crop of onions, chillies, brinjals, beans, etc were destroyed in the saline water, affecting many farmers in the area.
Now, the villagers are also concerned about water in their wells. Since many residents in the village depend on water from wells, there is possibility of saline water contaminating well water in the area. “Our fields have already been destroyed, but now there is fear that our well water may also get affected and we won’t be able to get drinking water,” feared S Keshav Palni, an elderly farmer in Corjuem.
The Asnai Khazan Committee that was supposed to look after the sluice gate, appears to have failed in carrying out its maintenance regularly.
In spite of several complaints from the locals, the local administration also failed to keep a watch on the problems faced by the farmers.
“We submitted a number of memorandums to the mamlatdar of Bardez but no one has bothered to visit and inspect the site or even hear our problems. Local MLA, Glen Ticlo, visited us on one occasion,” said Bageshri Kerkar, another farmer from the area.
