Navelim farmers hit now by floods after mining closure
samir umarye
BICHOLIM: Some years ago about 50 residents in the mining hit area came together and decided to turn to farming after they lost their jobs, but this year’s rain washed away their entire crop making them hopeless.
This is the story of the residents from Maina Navelim in Sanquelim whose crops were washed away because of floods. The farmers claim that this type of flood they had seen some 20-25 years back and have now turned to the government for some help.
“After we lost our jobs from mining we tried to seek some other option and since we had piece of land we thought of cultivating. Even the mining company helped us in this endeavour and for the first time after several years this barren fields were cultivated” Vishwambar Gawas who was in the forefront in this field told Herald.
Herald had earlier highlighted this story of the farmers from Navelim who had also asked other mining dependents to turn to farming. Today, these farmers take different crops year around and are satisfied with their earning. But the floods have caused havoc in the area.
“Through out the year we are producing crops in these fields including rice during rainy season and chillis, brinjal, chawli, alsande and other such crops during other seasons. This year all the paddy fields have been damaged due to floods” Gawas told.
Gawas is not the only one who has his fields destroyed by floods. Sundar Naik who was employed in mining was also retrenched and the company was paying only 50% salary to him. As he was unemployed he decided to get back to farming.
“The mining company claims to pay 50% salary but we have not received anything since last several months. After mortgaging gold ornaments of my wife I cultivated the farm and also employed some labourers in the field but with this rain everything has been washed away” another farmer, Sundar Naik claims telling how he runs the affairs of his house with very little monetary source.
Digambar Naik claims that this year most of the farmers had cultivated Jyoti variety of paddy crop which got totally destroyed. “This year many of the farmers had cultivated Jyoti variety which are delicate while very few had gone for Jaya variant of crop. Even after the water recedes the crop would be damaged due to sludge in the fields. We have no hopes left. The government officials and the mining representatives have already visited the site but even if some merger compensation that we might receive would not equal the losses we have incurred.” Digambar claimed.