Excellent - best alternative, until the marauders take over the fields, like they are doing in north Goa. And they have a devious scheme. They collect all the debris from broken buildings and tell the truckers to dump them on certain tracks of field Late in the evening. The dumpers are very happy to get rid of this stuff. Slowly this builds up and next thing you know is that a small shop has sprung up there. The authorities are blind to all this.
Bernice Pereira Sent from my iPhone > On 06-Apr-2018, at 8:56 AM, samir umarye <samir.uma...@gmail.com> wrote: > > By SAMIR UMARYE > BICHOLIM: These farmers took up agriculture when mining stopped four years > back and say they are happy and earn more in their fields than the mining job > > > He left mining some four years ago, when the first blow hit mining in the > state in 2013. He had a small piece of land. Instead of lamenting the loss of > mining, he thought of returning to the fields and cultivating rather than > wait for the mining to resume. Four years down the line he feels that he is > happy and is earning substantial gains in this profession. > > This is the story of Vishnu Naik from Maina Navelim who today lives > comfortable life – with farming. “For several years I was working with the > mining and some four years back when there was turbulence in mining I left > the job and resumed my age old tradition of farming.” Vishnu states. > > “I am doing this business for the past four years and it is profitable. > Almost throughout the year I cultivate some crop or the other and am earning > good amount. There is no effect of closure of mining on us and if everyone > turns to farming they would earn substantial amount,” Vishnu claims. > > It may be stated that Navelim is one of the villages where there is lot of > mining activities and Vishnu claims that not all are dependent upon mining. > “Money is not just in mining but even in fields there is lot of money. There > are few people who are dependent upon mining like the truck owners but we > also have fields which yield good returns,” Vishnu disclosed. > > Vishnu is not just one farmer but there are about 40 others in Maina Navelim > who are dependent upon farming. “We feel that more than mining, farming gives > good return as there is more profit and less loss,” Sadanand Naik claimed. > All these farmers get hybrid production and supply it to horticulture thereby > getting profit. > > “Throughout the year we are producing crops in these fields, including rice > during rainy season and chillis, brinjals, chawli, alsande and other such > crops during other seasons,” said Vishwambar Gawas who turned to farming > after working for a mining company for about 18 years. > > Gawas says that mining has an end and will stop at some point of time but > this is not the case with farming. “Farming is the only business that can > give income throughout the year. We would urge the government that > agriculture should be given first priority as it is related to everyone,” > Gawas said. > > Gawas regretted that several natural resources in mining area have died due > to mining. He claims that only if these natural resources are rejuvenated > there are hopes for people of Surla, Pale and other areas to get water.