Lok Sabha Question No. 695 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Saline Intrusion into South Goa Agricultural Lands
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Captain Viriato Fernandes

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 695

## ANSWERED ON 24.07.2025

## SALINE INTRUSION INTO SOUTH GOA AGRICULTURAL LANDS

## 695.   SHRI CAPTAIN VIRIATO FERNANDES

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government to repair, rebuild or upgrade the centuryold water control systems to protect khazan agriculture in light of repeated saline inundation reported by farmers in Marcaim and Neura despite the presence of bundh and saltgate infrastructure;

(b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  commission  independent  audits  of  the  Water  Resources Department (WRD) works and sanction corrective funding to address systemic issues considering that Rs. 9 crore were spent on repairing Neura bundhs but saline ingress continues due to defective sluice gates and if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether the Government would direct the Goa State Research Board (GSRB) or the Central Ground Water  Authority  (CGWA)  to  install  real-time  water  quality  sensors  and  ensure  accountability  of  gatemaintaining committees due to recurring failures in sluice gate management during high tides leading to groundwater contamination in wells and if so, the details thereof; and

(d)  whether the Government proposes to support community-led maintenance through grants for khazan tenant associations, fund technical training and link irrigation modernization measures (such as sluice gate automation)  with  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs)  and  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) to enable climate-resilient coastal farming and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) & (b) Repair,  rebuild or upgrading of water control system comes under the purview of concerned State Government. As informed by the State Government of Goa, Soil Conservation Division, Directorate of  Agriculture,  Government  of  Goa  is  entrusted  to  carry  out  the  works  of  repairs/maintenance  and remodeling of notified khazan bunds so as to protect the conservancy of khazan lands of the State. The works on khazan bunds are carried out under Agriculture Tenancy Act 1964 and Rules 1965 in force as per specified patterns of assistance.

The role of Soil Conversation Division is to carry out repairs/strengthening of khazan bund, which is administered by Revenue Department and hand it over to respective Taluk Mamlatdars, which in turn is handed  over  to  tenant  association  by  Taluk  Mamlatdars.  Once  the  repaired  bund  is  handed  over  to  the

tenant  association,  it  is  joint  duty  of  tenants  to  maintain  it  in  good  condition  by  taking  up  periodic maintenance works as and when required, as per the aforesaid Act.

State  Government  of  Goa  has  further  informed  that,  the  bunds  at  Neura  are  in  good  condition whereas bund at Marcaim has been tendered and tender of the same has been referred to Goa State Works Board for consideration.

(c) Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  mandate  primarily  focuses  on  regulating  groundwater abstraction through No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for various projects. While issuing NOCs, CGWA stipulates conditions for groundwater quality monitoring to ensure sustainable practices. It is pertinent to mention that in Goa, the State Ground Water Authority, is the primary regulatory body for groundwater management within the state.

(d) Water, being a state subject; extension, renovation, modernisation and operation and maintenance of water  resources  projects  are  under  the  mandate  of  concerned  State  Governments.   However,  in  order  to supplement  their  efforts,  Government  of  India  provides  technical  and  financial  assistance  to  State Governments to encourage sustainable development and efficient management of water resources under various  ongoing  schemes.  No  such  proposal  for  central  funding  has  been  received  in  this  Department. Inclusion of a project for central funding, however, depends on various statutory clearances, fulfilment of criteria laid down in scheme guidelines, availability of funds, scope of the scheme etc.

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