MARGAO
Farmers of Nuvem cultivating the Rabi crop with water from the Bhogti tollem on Friday asked a simple question to the government “ how many more years will it require for the authorities to plug the rampant flow of sewage water from Fatorda into the water body so that they can return to the fields of their ancestors once again?
It’s now seven years, the farmers say, since they stopped cultivating the Rabi crop for the simple reason they cannot close the sluice gates for fear of complaints from locals about the sewage stink emanating from the stored water.
What has left the beleaguered farmers disappointed is the fact that their issue has not been resolved in the last seven years, despite the fact that two Chief Ministers and as many as PWD Ministers have visited the site and handed assurances to bring about a change.
Sadly, they claimed that it’s now seven years since the Ministers promised to plug the sewage flowing into the water body to enable them to close the sluice gates and carry out water harvesting to irrigate the fields, but in vain.
Farmer Santu Clemente recalled how the Chief Ministers and PWD Ministers, Ramkrishna Dhavalikar and Nilesh Cabral, had assured them they would fix the sewage issue so that they could close the sluice gates of the lake to irrigate the fields.
“In the past, we used to cultivate the Rabi crop with the water stored in the lake. But since sewage flows into the water body, people complain of the stink emanating from the water body, and hence we cannot store the water,” he said.
He added: “When the Ministers came to the water body, they assured us they would fix the issue within a year and a half to two years. Now, it is seven long years, and there is no sign of the issue being resolved, leaving the farmers high and dry.”
Congress leader Everson Vales, who has taken up cudgels for the beleaguered farmers, told the media that government help and assistance are not forthcoming, even though the farmers are all willing to revive farming in their fields.
Farmers protest cancellation of inspection by Salcete Mamlatdar
MARGAO: The last-minute cancellation of an inspection of the Bhogti Tollem at Nuvem by the Salcete Mamlatdar, on the plea that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) officials could not make it for the inspection, drew protests from the beleaguered farmers on Friday morning.
While Congress leader Everson Vales blamed Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira for the cancellation of the inspection, the Minister feigned ignorance over the inspection and the subsequent cancellation.
In fact, Sequeira, who represents the Nuvem constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly, said he had absolutely no idea about the inspection of Bhogti tollem and its cancellation. He said those blaming him for the cancellation of the inspection must be doing so with ulterior political motives, adding that the issue of Bhogti tollem had never been brought to his notice until now.
Congress leader Everson went hammer and tongs at Sequeira, saying the Environment Minister must share the blame if the GSPCB officials have been negligent, resulting in the cancellation of the inspection.
