Divar bundh set to finally be fixed, will stave off flooding

Panaji: The water resources department (WRD) is finally set to repair a damaged bundh at Navelim, Divar. The bundh was in a dilapidated condition, with mangroves growing around the existing structure.The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) recently issued an NOC for the strengthening of the bundh, provided its width was not increased and the mangroves in the land were not disturbed. Most of the bundh falls in the no-development zone of the Mandovi river, and the land falls within the mangrove buffer zone and khazan area as per Goa’s Coastal Zone Management Plan, 2011.The age-old bundh system, dating back to the pre-Portuguese era, is meant to help make farming possible near saline estuarine areas.

The maintenance of mud bundhs is a major challenge for the WRD, which is on the lookout for a viable solution. Concrete bundhs were opposed by the Goa State Biodiversity Board, stating that they can prove detrimental to the ecosystem and may adversely affect many species.Former chief minister Manohar Parrikar once proposed the use of vinyl sheet piling as a new-age solution to the concrete bundhs that were being constructed at the time by the WRD.

Most of Divar’s khazan lands were once very productive granaries of food. However, breached bundhs, particularly in areas like Malar and Goltim-Navelim, have been a recurring issue, causing flooding of paddy fields and threatening crops due to saline water ingress from the Mandovi river.This problem often worsens during heavy rain and the weakening of ancient khazan systems, leading to significant losses for farmers and concerns for residential areas as well.