Panaji: An Rs 82 lakh project to repair weak stretches of the Azossim bundh, including two major breaches, has been completed. However, tenants have warned that the repairs may prove shortlived unless the heavily breached main bundh is restored.The Azossim bundh is an internal embankment protecting the khazan fields. According to tenants, it remains vulnerable to tidal action because the damaged main bundh, which bears the brunt of tidal flow, has remained unrepaired for over two decades.“Azossim bundh has been repaired, but if the main bundh is not attended to, tidal action will slowly damage this smaller bundh as well,” said Antonio Fernandes, chairman of the St Mateus Tenants Association.The concern stems from past experiences. A 15-20m breach in the Azossim bundh repaired a few years ago at a cost of Rs 11 lakh collapsed within days of the restoration work.Meanwhile, extensive stretches of khazan land from Agasaim to Carambolim continue to remain permanently inundated because of major breaches in the main bundh, including the Ofla, Domzo and Caujem bundhs along the north-south Cumbharjua canal connecting the Zuari and Mandovi rivers.The prolonged flooding has raised water levels beyond agricultural fields into low-lying residential areas, destroying coconut and other fruit-bearing trees due to increasing salinity.St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar has also stressed the need for urgent restoration of the main bundh, saying it is critical to arrest rising floodwaters and prevent further damage to public property.The prolonged inundation has also rendered agriculture unviable across large stretches of the khazan fields. Left fallow for more than two decades, many of the fields have been overtaken by mangroves, making cultivation increasingly difficult.
