Bicholim
The Khajan farm road leading to Pomburpa Ferry began flooding after the saline water from the river breached the Kamar khazan and Kawa khazan bandhs in the Chorao area on Friday. This has made it dangerous for people travelling in vehicles through the route during high tide.
The road leading to Pomburpa Ferry has been flooded, and drivers and passengers remain stranded due to the water level.
As this road is constructed with mud filling there is a fear that it will be washed away by the water and there is a possibility that the communication to Chodan villagers will be cut off.
Former Panch Sanjay (Gandhi) Kalangutkar and farmers Dashrath Mapari, Sagun Dalvi, Sanjay Kandolkar, Ashok Kandolkar, Vishwajit Mandrekar, Prakash Kaskar, Kishore Amonkar, Swapnesh Kandolkar and others have demanded that the Chief Minister step in and solve the issue soon.
For the last several years, villagers and farmers have been demanding the repair of the Kawa and Katar Khajan dams. There are 300 farmers in Katar Khajan and 150 in Kawa Khajan.
The chilli production that was undertaken has been destroyed by the saline water. Banana and other trees have also been destroyed due to the intrusion of water.
"They have been keeping their hands on their ears if we make a complaint to the concerned department. Who should we poor people look to now?" Dashrath Mapari, a farmer from the area said, adding that all the hard work is wasted.
Farmers now demand that MLAs, ZPs and Panchayat authorities should immediately pay attention in this regard.
"If the government does not take immediate action in this matter, we will have to take the path of agitation," said Sanjay Kandolkar.
"Vehicles passing through this road are in danger due to the flooding on the road. Vehicles will begin rusting because of the saline water, said Sanjay Kalangutkar.
Farmers have therefore demanded with the ZP, local MLA Pravin Zantye and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to solve the issue at the earliest.
