Most of the khazan areas continue to be perpetually inundated because of the natural and artificial bund breaches.
Every tourist to Goa, the smallest state in the union with limited land resources, has his sights set on owning a plot of land with a house on it.
For generations, the khazan lands were extremely important to every Goan. The main usage of the area, aside from fish farming, was for agricultural purposes.
Most of the khazan lands continue to be permanently submerged due to the natural and forced breaches in bunds. The khazan lands were critical to the livelihood of our forefathers, and the separate Comunidades played a crucial role in ensuring that any breaches in the bund were fixed as quickly as possible. The bunds’ maintenance was offered at auction. In certain cases, khazan grounds have been recovered and embankments built to limit soil erosion. The Divar Island serves as a good illustration.
Pressure to conduct building operations on the khazan lands increases as the forest cover declines day by day and the supply cannot keep up with the demand. This forces the landowners to engage in forcible land filling with the hope that their property may one day provide a wealth.
Everyone wants to buy land that has been left fallow due to salty water inundation and dense mangrove growth. This makes it tempting to smother the prime productive area with trash, building waste, etc. As the relevant authorities remain silent,The land encroachers and a few vested interests are enjoying themselves to the fullest.
The Island of Divar didn’t fall behind either. The farming operations of yesteryear will soon come to an abrupt stop as little hamlets sprout up all over the khazan land encircling the mainlands along the Mandovi River’s tributaries.
It is imperative that the relevant authorities conduct routine surveys and take immediate notice of the widespread and rapid land filling that is occurring. Vehicles frequently dump trash in open areas when it is still dark. Vehicles implicated in the material’s transportation shall be stopped, arrested, and subjected to a severe fine.
Additionally, the landowner need to be punished for his complicity in this illicit conduct in theAbsence of any grievance on his part and restoration of the land to its original state at his expense. Only the introduction and enforcement of such deterrent measures will maintain the necessary checks and balances.
