Staff Reporter

Margao

Seraulim locals along with Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas on Thursday called on the need for the government to put in place a mechanism to restore agricultural land where landfilling has been carried out, while pointing to one such incident in the village.

On Thursday, locals called the flying squad as well as the MLA over a landfilling work undertaken in an agricultural area near the wholesale fish market. Locals had complained to several authorities over the issue but in vain.

Joaquim Dias said, “We have been complaining about the landfilling in the area for several years. First it was in 2014 and from then on the landfilling was going on. Initially, it was a small area but now it has increased with trucks dumping mud in the night.

We had informed authorities but no action came forth. Now instructions have been given to cordon off the area and restore the land.”

Viegas, who was present at the site, spoke to the flying squad that also included TCP officials and he later also called up the TCP minister.

“Such landfilling activity is going on all over the state and we had taken up the issue with the Collector asking for restoration of land but there is no mechanism, be it at the collector level or the TCP or PWD level because of which illegalities are going on. We need to have a system for ensuring restoration of landfilled areas,” he said.

He added, “I have spoken to the minister and he has given instructions to the officer on what and how to start the restoration in this particular case. I am confident that the minister will ensure that this land is restored.”