MARGAO
Beleaguered farmers of Benaulim fear heavy losses to their paddy which was transplanted just six days ago as the heavy rains over the last three days have left their fields at the Tolleaband water body submerged under water.
As if the construction of the controversial western bypass through the Tolleaband water body was not enough, farmers now fear huge losses because of the rains. Normally, farmers cultivating fields at the Tolleaband water body transplant the fields after the heavy floods. This year too, they followed the same pattern, but heavy rains in the last three days have left their fields inundated.
A group of farmers comprising of veteran John Barretto, Raymond D’Costa and others on Monday told The Goan that they had transplanted the paddy on August 20 with the help of Paddy Man of Goa, Fr George Quadros. “The heavy rains in the last three days have left the paddy submerged under water. Right now, the paddy is under water. We fear losses,” informed John Barretto.
Lamenting that no one pays attention to the woes of the farming community, Baretto said the 'Jai Kisan' slogan is rendered just a slogan without any support to the farming community.
Raymond D’Costa said that the fields were transplanted on August 20 through the mechanical transplanter provided by Fr Quadros. “The sudden and heavy rains have submerged the paddy,” he said.
Questions were raised over the waterlogging in the fields at Tolleaband when the farmers and villagers had requested the authorities to desilt the culverts for quick movement of water from the water body to the adjoining River Sal.
In fact, R K Pandey, the emissary of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had recommended increasing the number of culverts on the Benaulim-Varca road for the quick discharge of rainwater from the Tolleband water body into the river Sal, but in vain.
Farmers cultivating the fields at the Tolleaband water body in Benaulim had vehemently objected to the construction of the western bypass through the water body, fearing inundation of the flood plains of River Sal during the monsoons.
