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Chandor Ganv Vhodd Zaum! |
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Quite a Charmer, Chandor! Our village, Our Home! Before we explore a course of action which can bring about the sustainable development of our village, let us take a look at Chandor�s topography, the terrain that holds the promise of transforming our economy, and, perhaps the history of our future. Rice Fields: About three-fourths of Chandor is agricultural land. It is this irregular patch of rice fields in the heart of the village which served our ancestors so well for millennia and, perhaps, is the reason for our being here today. Now, though, we seem to have forgotten what their main function in the life of our village has been over the ages; today they serve to only offer a vista of green to delight the eyes and to gather and disseminate the fresh breezes which make life in Chandor so health-enhancing. We ought to be grateful for even these small mercies, but, any hope we have of reviving life-sustaining work in Chandor will depend on how well we can preserve and utilise this rice bowl. (And it seems we need to act double quick, if we are to save this land for posterity. Already, the pressures of housing and the laxity of our village administration have seen some of these fields diverted from agriculture). Hills: We have just a hill or two in Chandor, Ghotmorod in Cavorim, the Monte, and the two or three hills touching Voil� Todem. But even this handful is under threat from mining for metal stone. The blasting near Voil� Todem has left the hills scarred and has damaged rather badly houses in the vicinity. It is necessary to not just stop the mining, but also to think of alternative productive activity here. One option would be to re-green the hills, through afforestation and horticulture programmes; this would also have the bonus of recharging the water table. Orchard Lands: Except for a few extensive, privately-owned coconut orchards, horticulture for sale isn�t practiced on too wide a scale. That is, of course, if we exclude the few mango, cashew, papaya, banana and coconut trees we nurture in our compounds for home consumption. Water Bodies River Kushawati: Chandor is blessed with water bodies aplenty, the chief being the Kushawati River along our eastern and southern borders. There was a time when this river served as a major transportation route for goods and passenger vessels. It is possible to restore some of the river's uses (fishing and transportation, to name just two) with a little dredging of the silted up riverbed and by strengthening its banks. (Fishing with explosives must be totally discouraged here, if not through civic policing by villagers, by other punitive measures). The development of profitable activity around the river may be pursued with assistance from government organisations like the Inland Waterways and the Tourism Departments. The floodwaters from the river, which have such a devastating effect on our agriculture, may be gainfully diverted using appropriate watershed management techniques. Channelling the river�s overflow into the water reservoir planned at Voil� Todem could be an option we must seriously explore. Creeks: The creeks (vodds) passing through the village don�t just irrigate our fields but also flush dirt away into the river. These streams include Todeahandi at Miria Jirem, the vodd passing near Mamlatemer, and the Lorsulem and Musher creeks running parallel to the railway tracks near Cotta and Fodi. (The Rishi creek in Cotta dried up some decades ago). Till recently, some of these streams teemed with the delicacies, horcheo, chikale and tigur. Unless we act quickly and help conserve these freshwater varieties we are likely to lose them for good. Assistance for shoring up the creeks may be sought from the Water Resources and Agriculture Departments. At the local level, we can tend them through the planned new village co-operative or through an agency constituted by the village panchayat. Voil� Todem Lake: Voil� Todem, in the west, apart from being a watering hole for our cattle (and a home to two crocodiles, according to nearby residents!), also holds promise of becoming a tourist attraction. There is scope too for developing it into a reservoir to supply water to the whole village. A little deepening, desilting and building up along the banks and we have a back-up against dry wells in summer and those too-frequent breakdowns of the Selaulim pipeline. The annual floodwaters could also be channelled into the lake reservoir. This venture may, again, be implemented with assistance from the Water Resources and Agriculture Departments, or with funds from the MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) scheme. Ponds: Our ponds too need care if they are to continue their vital function of maintaining the water table. Goddeam Todoi, Donea Hond, Kumbram Hond, Gaddie Vodd, Kollea Vodd, Varea Hond, Numshi Hond have served our agriculture well over the years. We could also consider other uses for them. Goddeam Todoi, for instance, may be considered for fish breeding. Kumbram Hond, a rather picturesque spot just off Voil� Todem, could serve its former function of channelling water into the fields through the canal's overflow gate. Natural Springs: The natural springs at Igorjebhat and Hatram Mod compare favourably with springs anywhere in Goa. The water of the Igorjebhat zor could be analysed for possible mineral content. The Hatram spring needs to be enclosed and an approach road built towards it. Dev'da Baim (Temple Well) near Voil� Todem also needs to be properly maintained. Paroda Canal: The Paroda canal has served our village admirably for decades and shows signs of continuing to do so for many more. We may help by tending its sub-surface channels, particularly the one near Benu Coutinho�s house and by restoring the overflow gate near the Cotta Cruz house. Within Chandor itself, we need to display civic sense enough not to use this precious waterway to dump our trash and dead pets in. The panchayat may also lay wire netting at the canal's entry point to block incoming waste from entering the village.
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