Raia tops in biodiversity conservation in South Goa

Margao: Sustained efforts by the Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC), Raia, in conservation of habitats like wetlands, mountains, short plateaus and other ecosystems in the village earned the panel the Goa State Biodiversity Award among the BMCs in South Goa.
President of Raia BMC and former sarpanch of the village, Antonio Fernandes, said that the committee led the villagers in putting in concerted efforts in the construction of a number of sluice gates that led to storage of water for irrigation thereby reviving the ancient irrigation system along the protective bunds.
“The then deputy sarpanch Oswald D’Souza supported us a lot in this task,” Fernandes said. “Farmers are now reaping benefits of these water storage measures.” Some enterprising farmers have even ventured into fish farming and are doing quite well.
The Raia BMC efforts in revival of the Bacbatt lake which witnesses a regular movement of avian visitors, including migratory birds, as well as its efforts in conservation of indigenous variety of seeds, have also come in for appreciation from the Goa State Biodiversity Board.
The Raia BMC has also succeeded in preparing the People’s Biodiversity Register of the village in participatory method and completing all the three phases of validation as mandated.