For the first time since Liberation the state government has approved the Goa state Amritkal Agriculture Policy 2025 which bans conversions of all fields designated as rice, morad, kher and khazan and focuses on revolutionizing farming through hydroponics, aquaponics, urban agriculture and vertical farming.
Sustainable practices shall take centrestage and special emphasis shall be laid on cash crops like cashew, mango, arecanut, rambutan and grapefruit. Sewerage and waste water release into agricultural land will be penalized by GSPCB. Farmers owning more than 4000 Sq.mts. of land shall be eligible for special incentives and subsidy for promotion of agrotourism on their land.
All this sounds very well on paper but with lakhs of acres of farmland being converted the ban seems very difficult to implement on the ground.
Real estate sharks from Delhi and Bombay are given a free hand to run riot in our state with supermega projects on fertile land in the villages; the destruction of our beautiful Goa is facilitated by the ones in power.
Builders will find new ways to circumvent this ban by greasing the palms of mantris and sarkari babus. Lofty intentions and cosmetic bans are not going to save our State, an iron will is required.
