MARGAO
It was 10 am on Tuesday. Excitement rents the air at the once picturesque Salpem lake, long abandoned by the farming community due to the rampant discharge of sewage and wastewater into the water body from neighbouring Margao.
Reason? A group of farmers under the banner of the newly-formed Navelim Farmers Club anxiously waited for the mechanized tractors to roll into the Salpem lake, marking the ambitious project in a bid to revive and bring the fallow paddy fields under cultivation.
Abandoned around three decades ago by farmers after sewage from neighbouring Margao left the paddy fields devastated at the once picturesque lake, a couple of tractors went about ploughing the fields to prepare the ground for the sowing operation in the coming season.
Blessed by Our Lady of Rosary Church, Navelim Parish Preist Fr Gabriel Coutinho, farmers under the newly-formed farmers club have resolved to bring around one lakh square metres of fallow fields under cultivation this season. The remaining two lakh square metres is proposed for cultivation in the next season.
Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar, Navelim sarpanch Paul Pereira, panchayat members, convenor of Navelim village development committee Joao D’Souza witnessed the ploughing operation with the Paddy Man of Goa, Fr George Quadros, Paddy Man of Chinchinim Agnelo Furtado, besides agricultural officers as the tractors went about the work.
A farmer Sarmento Da Silva recalled that the last time he had cultivated his ancestral fields at the Salpem lake was way back around 1985.
“We used to cultivate these fields since our childhood days and reaped huge paddy yield. But, the discharge of sewage from neighbouring Margao left us with no option but to abandon agriculture. Farmers complained of skin infections when they got down to the fields because of the raw sewage,” he said.
He added: “Today, I am happy that our fields are being brought back under cultivation. In the first phase, around one lakh square metres of fields will be taken up for cultivation. The balance fields will be cultivated in the next season.”
Another farmer Filomena Coutinho said she had tried to revive agriculture on her land last year but in vain. “This year we have all got together to review agriculture in our fields,” she said.
Fr Quadros has promised to deliver to the farmers within a specified time with the cooperation of all concerned, including the farming community and agriculture department.
“This place will soon be a place where people will flock to see the farms back in action. I am sure people will all love the greenery. Even if there is no big produce, the farmers will deserve appreciation for having brought back the land under cultivation,” Fr Quadros added.
Agriculture Officer Aviraj Desai said the department will extend all possible help to the farmers of Navelim and Fr Quadros for the community farming initiative.
The Navelim sarpanch lauded the farmers as well as the agriculture department for the initiative, which he said will bring back greenery at Salpem lake.
The Navelim MLA pointed out that he had got the Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar at the Salpem lake recently, wherein it was decided to build a channel to ensure the sewage does not enter the fields but goes straight into the sewage treatment plant at Sirvodem.
“Additional works will be taken up to ensure the sewage water does not enter the lake,” he added.
