MARGAO
When the government accepted the recommendation of the 10-member High level committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to build the western bypass on stilts on a 900-metre stretch from Seraulim and Mungul, Seraulim villagers had received the news with skepticism.
Reason: Seraulim villagers had feared that building the bypass on stilts on the Seraulim stretch and on an earthen embankment in neighbouring Benaulim would not help control floods. In fact, at every gram sabha, the villagers had demanded construction of the bypass on stilts on the Benaulim stretch fearing large scale inundation of the low lying village fields.
What was feared by the villagers and farmers over the last two days have come true, with the low lying fields in Seraulim all submerged under water since the last 10 days, with the waters not draining out towards Benaulim and the river Sal.
Ex-Seraulim panchayat member Kevin D’Souza told The Goan that Seraulim farmers have suffered huge losses with the fields submerged under water since the last 10 days. “There are farmers whose seedlings have been lying submerged in water for the last 10 days. There’s another group of farmers who had sowed the paddy for transplantation, but the seeds have overgrown since the water level does not allow paddy transplantation in the fields”, he said.
Kevin recalled that the Seraulim gram sabha was insisting on building the bypass on stilts in Benaulim for the simple reason that the stilts on earthen embankment would allow for the quick drainage of flood water. “This is what exactly is happening in Mungul, Seraulim and Nuvem. Flood water from these village is not draining towards Benaulim. It is high time officials come and see for themselves the ground reality and rectify the situation”, Kevin demanded.
He added: “The unplanned development has taken a toll on the farmer. It’s frustrating to see the farmer who ploughed the soil for his crop which is now submerged just because of so called development. Last two years there was no continuous rainfall. What happens to the credibility of the experts committee set up by the NGT to assess the ground reality. The government will give compensation in form of money. What happens to the food security these farmers provide for? Around 60 per cent of he cultivated land in Seraulim is under water for last nine days. Killing the farmer is killing oneself”.
