MAPUSA
Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar assured the Goa Legislative Assembly on Thursday that the government will initiate repairs on a crucial bund in Oxel, Siolim at an estimated cost of Rs 90 lakh to address the issues faced by local farmers.
Responding to a complaint from Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo, Shirodkar informed the assembly that the department conducted a survey and identified weak portions of the bund requiring attention.
“The department has prepared a proposal costing Rs 97.43 lakh to strengthen the bund over a length of 350 metres, which will help protect the paddy fields,” Shirodkar said.
The project is scheduled to commence between November and December this year.
MLA Delilah Lobo highlighted the concerns of farmers from Oxel and surrounding villages, noting that the bund and retaining wall along the Chapora River were in a dilapidated condition and at risk of collapse.
She mentioned that in 2023, parts of the retaining wall had already collapsed, affecting more than 50 farmers in the area.
Shirodkar acknowledged Oxel's significance as an agricultural village, with over 200 hectares of land under cultivation. He explained that the damaged bund is part of a land protection system involving a sluice gate and a network of internal bunds that regulate high tide waters from the Chapora River, protecting the fields from water and salinity intrusion.
The bund, which is about 700 metres in length, had sections repaired and strengthened by the Water Resources Department (WRD) in 2015-2016. The previous repairs included spending Rs 45 lakh on the sluice gate and Rs 35 lakh on the bund.
Following the local MLA's letter, the WRD conducted a survey to identify the weak portions of the bund that had not been attended to earlier and required repairs.
The department has now prepared a proposal to repair and strengthen the bund, ensuring the protection of the paddy fields.
