PISSURLEM: O Heraldo reporters went to Pissurlem to map a rekindling of hope – of farmers, who have spent two decades and more, forlornly looking back at their mining silt filled fields leaving them out of work and livelihoods.
Today, after the historic High Court order directing mining firms to pay for desilting – at the first stage- 5000 square metres, out of 50,000-60,000 square metres covered with silt, O Heraldo reporters on the ground in Pissurlem, speaking to them and their families, it seemed that they were emerging from a long dark tunnel into days of sunshine. The Pissurlem Shetkari Samitee headed by President Hanumant Parab filed a PIL, while the Goa Foundation helped them, the farmers are thankful to Dr Claude Alvares, Adv Norma Alvares, Adv Om D’Costa, and Goa Foundation for helping them fight the legal battle.
“We will cultivate our land once it is desilted. Initially, when mining stopped, a few farmers tried to cultivate their fields for a few years, but there was minimal yield as the land had lost its fertility after the silt mixed with the original mud. I have agricultural land, but for the last 20 years, it has been barren. I own around 25 cows and buffaloes, but there is no source of water and land left for them to graze as industries have increased. The fodder costs around Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000 so whatever we earn after selling milk we spend on fodder for animals. Earlier, when we cultivated the land, we got free fodder from our own fields,” said Sadashiv Parab, a farmer.
Hanumant Parab, petitioner and President of Pissurlem Shetkari Samitee said the farmers used the natural water source to cultivate around 80 acres of land but the mining activity destroyed their fields.
“There was a time when Pissurlem was known for its highest paddy yield as the soil fertility was high and did not require too much manure. However, now the land has lost its fertility and we will have to work to make the land fertile naturally,” Parab said.
“There is a lake and natural springs which supplied water to 80 acres in the past but when mining activity went deeper, the water started flowing into the pits. Major disasters occurred in 1998 and 2000 when during the heavy rains, the silt flowed into the fields and agricultural activity stopped completely”, Parab said.
Sadashiv Parab jumped back into the conversation and said, “We have been rendered jobless. I have two children, who are studying, and require at least Rs 100 as daily education expenses. I am not in a position to give them Rs 100 a day. Now, I am employed as a security guard and earn a salary of Rs 12,000 a month, but we receive that amount once in six months. We are completely dependent on civil supplies for our daily bread.”
Navso Parwar, another farmer said, “For the past several years we have been knocking on the doors of the government as well as the companies to get our land back, but all we were getting is oral assurances. We are unable to cultivate our land and did not receive crop loss compensation for the past seven years. Until the land is desilted, we cannot carry out agricultural activities. For several years we have been requesting the companies to remove the silt but in vain.”
Parab said, “People were left with no option, but to sit at home or be dependent on civil supplies for their daily bread. It is sad that today, the young generation aged around 30 years have shied away from agriculture, but people need to understand that in the next 10 to 15 years, mining in Goa will be over and agriculture will be the only asset.”
Pissurlem farmers worked as daily wage labourers to earn their livelihood
With their fields full of mining silt, farmers had no option but to work as daily wage labourers to earn their daily bread.
And since mining was stopped as well, they even out of desperation to put food on the table, couldn’t work there.
Babuso Gawde, a farmer said, “We had no source of income. We had no option, but to work as daily wage labourers. For a living, we worked on a wage of Rs 200 per day.”
When we cultivated our fields, we had enough for our consumption as well as sold the produce and earned money. Here farmers are faced with difficulties.”
He also said that since he belongs to the ST community he could educate his son upto graduation, a facility that many did not have.