Agricultural land or garbage dumps? (Herald)

Agricultural land or garbage dumps? July 17, 2013 DIANA FERNANDES PANJIM: Goa’s fields are going to be paying the price of the uncontrollable menace called garbage. Along with the rampant development, vast expanses of fields are dumping ground to garbage and sewage from bordering settlements. Locals blame builders and their construction projects and housing complexes but the locals are equally to be blamed for the state of garbage. Christina Rebello of Seraulim is eager to start cultivating crops in her 10-year vacant field. But she’s unable to enter her field due to shards of glass, plastic and ash due to the run off of garbage burnt a meter away from the field. “It is impossible to grow anything in this field. Everyone from the village dumps their garbage here, while some even burn it including plastic. When it rains it gets washed into the field,” she said. Tractor operators and labourers have refused to enter her field because of the glass pieces and the plastic bags that have seeped into the soil. The only solution is to replace at least two inches of the existing soil with new soil. A task that involves heavy investment. This is the future that many foresee for green fields. E-waste and chemicals from computers, batteries and thermometers are the cause of many skin ailments to those working in the fields. “Our hands and feet developed a very irritating rash after working in the field over a couple of days,” complains Josè Fernandes, a farmer in Seraulim. Judith Almeida, member of the Colva Civic Consumer Forum (CCCF) complains that there is no segregation of the waste by the panchayat, forcing people to either burn their garbage or dump it in an isolated place usually near fields. Locals from all over the State say the main culprits are the panchayats. Ryan Fernandes from Cansa, Tivim, says garbage is all over the place, not only in the fields. “Garbage is thrown carelessly by the citizens at every available space along the roads even though there is a sign put up saying “No Dumping Garbage Here,” he narrates. The grand tradition of the Konsachem fest or Harvest Feast in Taleigao has come under threat as building debris was recently dumped along the path where the procession for the fest takes place. Local resident and businessman, Vito Gomes complains that the 500-year-old tradition may face some obstacles. “The debris of Babush Monserrate’s construction is being dumped in the fields and in the future this will hinder the cultivation of crops for the festival. With the rains carrying the debris into the fields, it will destroy cultivable land,” he said. Along with the debris, cement run-offs threaten micro-organism and breathing capacity of the field. Taleigao farmer Candido Dias complains of his paddy crop breaking off at the stems. High rise buildings and housing complexes are to be blamed for water draining off into the fields, he says. Almeida says that this problem arose when the mega housing projects began in Taleigao, as is the case in Colva. “There has been age old natural drainage in these fields. It is all part of the topography. There is no civic sense in building these projects in low lying areas,” says Almeida. Sewage is another problem that is playing its part in destroying fields. José Fernandes’ field along the Margao-Colva road is reeling under the problem of sewage let out from the complex built in the middle of his field adversely affecting crops like rice, paddy and seasonal vegetables. Owing to the high water table of these areas, sewage from soak pits seeps into nearby water bodies. Farmers along the coastline have also complained of sea water entering their fields thus destroying the crops. Benaulim farmer Camilo Fernandes has been opposing the functioning of an already constructed petrol pump in the area of Vaswaddo. “Though the construction work is complete, its functioning has been put on hold because I along with other locals want to stop the project. Oil and petrol run offs are waiting to enter the fields. This will be very dangerous to us in the future, if allowed to function,” he said The Agriculture Department while stating that in the long run, these issues will be detrimental to the farm as well as the farmer, it insisted that there was nothing they could do. Director of Agriculture SSP Tendulkar said, “Yes many farmers constantly come to me with complaints of garbage and sewage entering their fields, but I cannot help them. They need to take their grievances and complaints to their local bodies which may either be the panchayat or the municipality,” is all he could say. http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/Agricultural-land-or-garbage-dumps/76999.html