-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM: The farmers from Sal in Bicholim are reeling under the pressure with unavailability of Tillari water to their farms who fear that even this year their farms would be damaged if the supply of water is delayed.
It may be stated that the farmers from Sal are totally dependent upon Tillari waters and every year the supply of water to these farmers is delayed as the work of cleaning and other formalities takes too long and the farmers bear the brunt of this. “The Tillari water should be supplied either in August or September as there is very less rainfall during these months. If the water is sent during these months then only our crops could survive, it is useless sending water to us in the month of January when everything has dried out” Deelip Desai from Sal told. The farmers cannot use the tap water as there is no constant supply of this water in Sal. All the farmers cannot even dig a well because of financial constraint. The farmers now feel that the government has no proper planning in handling the entire issue. They feel that if government was concerned about farmers they would have planned the supply of water well before the monsoon season ends. “There is no use of Goa government spending so much on Tillari project. Every year the affected person of this project go on strike and even sit in the cannal with their demand and farmers from Goa have to suffer” Mehasham Raut from Sal told. “Tillari project is just done and forgotten. There is no follow up whether it is beneficial to the farmers or not. It is useless that every year we give letters to the authorities and raise our voice, somewhere it should be stopped.” Raut claimed. As per the information available from the farmers the tendering process of cleaning of the canal is not yet done and so it would take another month for the entire process to get over and by that time their farms would be totally destroyed. The farmers have now indirectly threatened that if they are not given Tillari water they would stop the supply of drinking water to the entire north Goa, as the water to Padosem water treatment plant comes from Sal bandhara. “The government should not test our patience as if we are enraged we would resort to any move and government would be responsible for the actions” Raut threatened. There are more than 100 farmers in Sal and they have two water distribution societies. “We don’t know what the official are doing. Last year the office from Assonora had the charge of supplying water this year they told us that the Dodamarg office is give the charge. We are made to run from pillar to the post when our farms are dying” Digambar Raut told adding “the farmers are frustrated and we would resort to strong agitation if water is not supplied to us. We feel that Tillari project is just money making business for the contractors and officials as they are least bothered about the farmers.” The sarpanch of Sal panchayat, Prakash Raut also has the same opinion and told that they have approached all the officials but no one is bothered about them.