THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA:.Off late, landfilling activity in agricultural fields has turned into a sensitive issue in Bastora near Mapusa.
Upset over the landfilling, several locals in the past had raised their voice and even complained to authorities concerned.
But despite the protests, landfilling activity continues unabated in Bastora right under the nose of the local panchayat and authorities concerned.
Recently, the Bastora panchayat along with the water resources department had taken up de-silting of Mapusa (Tar) River which had sparked a controversy.
In the process of de-silting the river, the contractor for purpose of convenience dumped the excavated silt in the nearby Bastora field bearing survey no 153/8 belonging to Srikrishna Naik and three others.
According to Bastora Sarpanch Savio Martins, the plan was to initially dump the silt/mud in the field and later utilize it for the ongoing road widening work.
Surprisingly, the dumping of the silt/mud came as blessing in disguise to the owners of the field who recently started to flatten the silt in the field.
The Bastora Sarpanch informed that the owner was allowed to utilize the fertile silt/mud only for agricultural purpose.
He further said the panchayat will not allow any concrete structure to come up in the field.
“The owner wants to plant some coconut saplings in the field in order to convert his agricultural land into a coconut grove,” Martins said. “We have allowed the owner to use only the fertile silt in the field. The remaining mud will be transported and used at the ongoing road widening work,” he added.
But the activity of flattening of the silt/mud in the field suggests otherwise.
The JCB pressed into action in the field has flattened the entire mud dumped in the field clearly showing complicity of the Bastora panchayat in the activity.
Slamming the water resources department, former deputy sarpanch Andrew D’Souza opined that the government department was indulging in landfilling.
“With WRD dumping trucks of silt in the field it has indulged in landfilling and therefore encouraging illegality. There is no fear of law in Bastora. People are doing whatever they want,” D’Souza said.
Last year during the monsoon, the village road passing through the fields was completely submerged with water for almost a week making it difficult for locals to use the stretch.
“My worst fear is that during this monsoon the condition will be worse than last year,” the former deputy sarpanch said.
