Salpem lake farmers, Navelim presenting corns to Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik and Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuemkar to signify the success of farming at the Salpem lake. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Buoyed by the success of the experiment in reviving the agricultural fields at the Salpem lake, devastated by raw sewage from neighbouring Margao, Salpem lake farmers has sought intervention of the agriculture Minister Ravi Naik to stop sewage flowing into the lush green fields.
After giving a patient hearing to the farmers, Ravi underscored the need for a joint inspection of the Salpem fields by the department of PWD, Agriculture, PWD and the Water Resources department to stop the sewage flow into the fields.
The farmers along with the Paddy Man of Goa, Fr George Quadros drew attention of the farmers how they have revived farmers at the Salpem lake after a gap of four decades. They pointed out that the discharge of sewage into the lake has affected plans to bring the entire field under cultivation.
Impressed by the success story of the Salpem field experiment, Agriculture Director, Neville Alphonso pointed out to the Minister that the farmers have yielded a good harvest of the fields cultivated after 40 long years. “The yield is organic in nature and hence assumes significance. The farmers need support in terms of fencing since they had cultivated the fields as part of community farming”, he said.
The Agriculture Director further pointed out that the farmers could revive the fields with mechanization, thanks of Fr George Quadros, saying that no farmer would have descended in the fields for the fear of being infected with skin diseases with the fields devastated by sewage water.
Earlier, the Navelim Village Development Committee headed by Joao D’Souza had submitted a memorandum to the Navelim Sarpanch to take up with the Agriculture Minister a host of demands during the latter’s visit to the fields.
The VDC has demanded immediate steps to be taken up with all concerned government departments to stop discharge of raw sewage into the nulha adjoining Salpem lake fields. The VDC had called for removal of all floating waste from the nulha, plastic bottles, tires, clothes, debris etc, and the nulha desilted on priority.
The VDC had also demanded the Immediate scrapping of proposed road through the fields on acquired land by irrigation department for canal project as there is no resolution from Village Panchayat nor farmers for the said road. On the contrary, the VDC contended that the land acquired by the irrigation department can be utilized for developing a comprehensive agriculture related infrastructure including trashing grounds, warehousing for paddy, shed for agriculture equipment, washroom on the land acquired for irrigation canal which has now been scrapped.
