Teams from NITI Aayog will be examining the state’s proposal to turn about 10,000 hectares of khazan land into farms, saltworks and fishing areas. On Monday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made the announcement which was after the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog.
Mr. Sawant underscored the role that khazan lands play in history and nature, and he urged for big funds from the government to improve the eroded environment. “We have presented our plan to restore khazan paddy fields. The team from NITI Aayog will go over the plan and then submit their advice to the Ministry of Agriculture. That is why we want to get the required funding,” Sawant explained.
Sawant also urged during the meeting for adequate budgets to handle important repair and maintenance, including fixing the outer and inner bunds, sluice gates and cleaning the small poisons.
Historians believe that the Khazan lands began in 400 AD and have been important ever since. These engineered environments, guarded by an advanced line of embankments and tide-controlling gates, have helped coastal communities in Goa for many years. They allow the region to benefit from rice farming, aquaculture and salt panning all in the same area.
Khazan lands were once about 5% of Goa, or 18,000 hectares. But without care, almost 4,000 hectares have been lost over the past three decades. The reason for the decline is rural migration and a switch from agriculture to more tourism businesses.
People there may once again depend on the land, benefit from farming and aquaculture and aid in preserving wetlands for those who come after them.
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