Panaji: The Goa authorities has requested ₹1,000 crore from the union authorities to develop climate-resilient infrastructure and search compensation for the income loss because of restrictions on growing ecologically delicate lands within the Western Ghats.
Talking on the pre-budget session assembly chaired by union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Jaisalmer on Friday, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant additionally requested further funds for the safety of khazans – low-lying agricultural lands and mudflats – to stop erosion.
“Goa, being a coastal state, is weak to local weather change-related disasters. This yr, Goa recorded 173 inches of monsoon rainfall between June 1 and September 30, marking the best seasonal whole within the final 124 years. Incidents of disasters like sea erosion and landslides have additionally elevated. To mitigate the consequences of local weather change, cut back carbon footprints, and shield the Western Ghats, Goa wants monetary help within the type of grants amounting to ₹1,000 crore,” Sawant mentioned.
He additional emphasised the significance of defending the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. “Nonetheless, the restricted growth within the Western Ghats space reduces the land out there for growth, resulting in income loss for the state. This loss needs to be compensated by financial assist from the Authorities of India,” Sawant mentioned.
The Goa authorities additionally reiterated its demand for monetary help to revive khazan farming within the state.
“Roughly 18,000 hectares of khazan lands have been inundated with saline water because of lack of upkeep. This has led to the unfold of mangroves in these saline areas, making the land unsuitable for any productive exercise. There may be an pressing must revive these khazan lands, and we request a one-time particular help of ₹500 crore for this goal,” Sawant added.
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Khazan farming is carried out in reclaimed land close to river or marine estuaries. It’s a self-sustaining system involving agriculture, fisheries, horticulture, and ancillary actions resembling salt manufacturing. The protecting bunds across the khazan land are essential for its survival, as they shield the agricultural fields and surrounding villages from tidal saline water. Nonetheless, neglect of those bunds and sluice gates has resulted in saline water flooding the fields.
Earlier, the Goa authorities had pitched a ₹350 crore undertaking to the Union authorities for the safety and restoration of khazan lands, however it’s but to be sanctioned.
