NT Reporter
Guirim
Farmers in Guirim, Saligao and Bastora have alleged that ongoing highway construction has left their agricultural fields completely submerged, triggering a severe crisis for the farming community.
Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Ferreira visited the affected areas and said the flooding was the result of poor planning during the execution of the highway project.
“All the fields are filled with water. The farmers say they are ruined. The highway was built without taking proper environmental care or considering its impact on the people and the farmers,” Ferreira said.
He alleged that the highway had obstructed the natural flow of water, causing it to accumulate in the fields.
“The highway has been built in a way that fills up the fields. There is no flow from one side to the other. It is a system failure. Two or three files are moving between the Water Resources Department and the Agriculture Department,” he said.
Ferreira also accused contractors of prioritising cost-cutting over safety and environmental concerns.
“Contractors are looking at cutting costs. They are not seeing the potential danger,” he said.
Calling the situation a failure of the government, Ferreira said local conditions and potential risks had not been taken into account while implementing the project. He alleged that the project had become counterproductive and was causing hardship to farmers in the affected villages.
