PANAJI
In a bid to revive agriculture in Khazan land, the Goa government has submitted a proposal of Rs 340 crore to the Union government for rejuvenation of Khazan land across the State.
Goa has 18,000 hectares of fertile khazan lands, but hardly 4,000ha is being tilled by farmers. It is also estimated that about 4,000ha of Khazans have been lost over the last thirty years due to non cultivation.
As per the detailed project reports (DPRs), the State agriculture department has proposed to spend Rs 189.31 crore on rejuvenation of Khazan lands by strengthening bundhs and sluice gates in North and South Goa.
Further, another Rs 151.25 crores would be spent to rejuvenate Khazans by desilting of Poiems in both the districts.
Speaking to The Goan, a senior agriculture officer said that the focus is to protect Khazan cultivable lands from salt water ingress by constructing bundhs and sluice gates. “Once the cultivable lands are protected, conservation can be taken up for agriculture and allied activities,” the officer said.
The officer said that efforts are also to see that more Khazan land can be brought under cultivation for the benefit of farmers.
The department has also proposed another Rs 350 crore detailed project reports that includes Honey Bee (Stingless Honey Bees) Farming with Processing Unit (Meliponiculture), awareness programmes for dissemination of agriculture technology and government schemes, community agriculture infrastructure for protection of prime agriculture lands, modernization of government agriculture farm with facilities for training at Codar and Kalay Farms, diversification of crops and Removal of Aoudi from Paddy fields at Madkai and Kundai villages in Ponda taluka.
