Farmers demand repairs as poorly-built protection wall fails to stop saline water ingress
Nirgosh Gaude
Ponda: Despite the recent construction of a Rs 3.18 crore protection wall by the Water Resources Department (WRD), around 3.20 lakh square metres of Chikhalpaine khazan fields in Kundaim remain flooded with saline water, restricting over 315 farmers from cultivating the land. Distressed farmers have called for immediate government intervention to resolve the issue.
According to Chikhalpaine Khajan Tenant Association (CKTA) chairman Vijesh Naik, the fields have remained uncultivated for the past five to six years due to breaches in the bandhara and the continuous entry of saline water. Following sustained demands from farmers, construction of a concrete protection wall along the bandhara was sanctioned with assistance from the Agriculture Department. Under this project, a one-kilometre-long protection wall was constructed in 2023 by the WRD.
However, alleged substandard work on the protection wall has resulted in leakages at several points, and in some areas, river water has been seen flowing over the wall, leaving the fields submerged once again, said farmers.
“Extending the height of the retaining wall along the entire one-kilometre bandhara is the only solution to prevent the entry of overflowing saline water,” said Naik, adding that there is possibility that recurring flooding will irreversibly damage the khazan lands, threatening the livelihoods of over 300 families who depend on these fields for cultivation.
Stating that the matter has already been brought to the attention of the Soil Conservation Department, Naik said that the association has urged the government to take immediate corrective action by raising the height of the retaining wall by half a metre and directing the contractor to seal all leakages.
On the deteriorating condition of the recently renovated bandhara, which was expected to bring relief to the farmers, he said, “During high tide, the water level has risen significantly in the past few days and is nearly breaching the newly-constructed structure. If this continues, there is no guarantee that the bandhara will hold up much longer.”
Farmers had hoped to resume cultivation this year following the bandhara’s renovation. However, their hopes have been dashed due to rising sea levels and the inflow of river water during high tide, leaving the fields once again submerged in saline water.
Adding to their woes, plastic waste, especially bottles and broken glass, has been swept into the fields.
“While we can remove plastic bottles, broken glass poses a major hazard. If the overflow continues, cultivation may become impossible,” Naik said.
