The navigation channel at the River Sal mouth.
MARGAO
The hostile navigation conditions at the mouth of the River Sal have once again come back to haunt mechanised boat owners and traditional fishermen, with the navigation channel now virtually reduced to around 25 metres due to sand accumulation.
Boat owners told the media on Saturday that dozens of fishing boats are currently anchored near the mouth of the River Sal at Betul, waiting for favourable tidal conditions before venturing into the sea.
A group of mechanised boat owners operating from the Cutbona fishing jetty said the difficult navigation conditions had left fishing operations largely at the mercy of the tides.
Cutbona Boat Owners Federation secretary Patrick D’Silva, speaking at the mouth of the River Sal, said fishermen were now forced to wait for high tide to take their boats out to sea.
“So many fishing boats are lying anchored in the river because they are waiting for high tide to move out into the sea. During low tide, fishing boats find it difficult to cross the navigation channel as its width has now been reduced to around 25 metres because of sand accumulation,” D’Silva said.
He questioned when the government would provide fishermen and boat owners with a permanent solution by constructing a training wall at the river mouth.
“We have been knocking on the doors of successive governments for the last 45 years, demanding a training wall or breakwater facility at the Sal river mouth to ensure a smooth navigation channel, but in vain,” he said.
With around 22 days having passed since the start of the new fishing season, D’Silva said boats operating from the Cutbona fishing jetty, which caters to more than 200 fishing vessels, were virtually dependent on tidal conditions to venture into the sea.
He said a delegation of elected representatives and boat owners had met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant earlier this week and renewed their demand for the construction of a training wall at the Sal river mouth.
“We are happy that the Chief Minister has assured us that the necessary funds will be sanctioned,” D’Silva said, adding that another delegation would soon meet the Chief Minister to urge the government to immediately initiate the process for constructing the retaining wall.
Boats cut water load to ease navigation
MARGAO: Mechanised boat owners have complained that they are being forced to carry less water while venturing out for fishing due to the hostile navigation conditions at the mouth of the River Sal.
Boat owner Patrick D’Silva said carrying water adds to the weight of the vessel, affecting its movement while navigating the Sal mouth.
To tide over the situation, fishing boats procure water at the neighbouring port of Karwar to meet their requirements, he said.
“We find ourselves in a piquant situation because of the hostile navigation conditions at the mouth of the River Sal. To reduce the weight of the vessel, we carry less water and then procure water from Karwar,” he said.
Sal training wall stuck over EC despite NGT clearance
MARGAO: Every time a delegation of fishermen and boat owners renews its plea for the construction of a training wall to address the navigation problems at the mouth of the River Sal, authorities tend to blame an NGO for dragging the matter before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and stalling the project.
However, a glance at the order issued by the NGT’s Western Zone Bench shows that the Fisheries Department had failed to obtain the mandatory Environmental Clearance (EC) before commencing work on the project.
In fact, the NGT had given the green signal for the construction of the training wall at the mouth of the River Sal, but with the condition that the project be executed only after obtaining the requisite EC.
This raises the question of why the Fisheries Department did not obtain the mandatory clearance before tendering and executing the work through the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC).
That’s not all. It has now been three years since the NGT passed an order clearing the construction of the training wall project, but the Fisheries Department is yet to obtain the EC.
Whenever Fisheries officials are asked about the status of the EC for the training wall project, they have maintained that a consultant has been appointed to complete the process.
