Photo essay was published in Environment Section of Revista da Casa de Goa, a Portuguese bimonthly magazine, March-April 2023 Issue No. 21.

Khazans are an ancient agro-eco system. The Khazan ecosystem involves protection of agricultural fields and villages from the tidal influx through bunds (dykes), sluice gates and canals. Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat in his paper, ‘History of Khazan land management in Goa: ecological, economic and political perspective’ suggests that Khazans are ‘low-lying land close to a mangrove-fringed estuary reclaimed by salinity control structures’. Salinity regulation by establishing a delicate balance between the availability and flow of freshwater (rainfall and aquifer) saline water from the estuaries determines the existence of the Khazan lands. Excess salinity can convert the Khazan lands to waste lands and surplus freshwater may lead to rapid growth of weeds and eutrophication.

 

Since 2014, I have lived in Goa, near the Khazan, reclaimed coastal lands shared between fishermen and farmers. The 2018 floods of Kerala, India was a wake-up call for Western Ghats of the vulnerabilities of ancient eco-systems. It pushed me to study the human impact on Goa’s delicate water ecosystem. 

Waterlogged Khazans of Salvador do Mundo, Goa

Khazans, reclaimed lands meant to be used for growing paddy are now filled with water through the sluice gate for aquaculture. This has changed the vegetation of wetlands. Polluted waters from industries and mining have encouraged the growth of algae and new varieties of weed can be seen in places.  Shot in the morning at 150 feet from ground, using a drone as an extension of my photographer’s eye, mangroves on shoreline act as bunds for the water channel.  Weeds grow in the paddy fields of Khazans filled with polluted water.

Khazan lands of Old Goa filled with backwaters of Cumbarjua Canal.

Lush green paddy fields are replaced by mangroves and weeds. I am told by the Kharvi community living here that the Khazans of Carambolim had the highest rice production in Goa. Shot at 150 feet from ground, the Khazan lands are filled with water to grow prawns amidst seaweeds.  Ancient system of water channels laid down to supply water to the fields are lined with mangroves growing on the bunds.  But now as all the fields are filled with sea water, mangroves grow everywhere, the reclaimed lands are returned to the sea.

Fertile Khazan paddy fields turned fallow in July 2021.

In July 2021, incessant rains in Goa caused Anjunem dam to release excess water into the rivers. Breech in the bundhs of Volvado, Goa allowed saline backwaters flood the Khazans. Soil embankments are broken to flood the fertile lands of Khazans with sea water and create favorable conditions for prawns and fish to grow.  In the process, land loses its fertility to grow crops. Shot at 250 feet above the ground, strange variety of sea weeds make abstract patterns in the water locked Khazans.  The silt doesn’t let water seep into the soil, blue-green algae grow on the Khazan land meant for agriculture.  Farmers protect their coconut trees by raising the ground. The grass boundaries no longer divide farms or crops grown as only sea weeds grow now.

Dwindling Salt Pans - Salt pans of Ribander, Old Goa

In the last few decades, salt pans in Goa has downscaled. In the past, 36 villages were involved in salt production, which is now reduced to 9.  Agor, mith and agaris (salt) pans are an integral part of Khazan agroecosystem. Mangroves have infested into the area once occupied by salt pans. Coastal lowland area at Patto, Ribander, Merces and Santa Cruz are covered with mangrove forests. Lately, these mangrove forests on Khazan lands are victim to the greedy land sharks.

Building Waste Disposal in Mangrove Forest, Merces, Goa

Shot from 250 feet directly above, building waste disposed into the mangrove forests can be seen next to the highway.  Also, water tank built for construction of highway can be seen along with other waste dumped in the waters. The waste inhibits free flow of water into the mangrove forest leading to a fall in the water level of the forest.  Stagnant waters show algae flourish, further reducing the oxygen in waters leading to the death of mangroves. 

Iron-Ore Barges in National Waterways of Mandovi River, Goa

A Barge carrying iron-ore dashes to the docks, making several trips in a day. Iron-ore achieves ever higher prices on International market.  The movement of barges impact the coastal fisheries and sometimes break the estuarine Khazan land bunds. 

There has been a considerable increase in the barge traffic after the six Goan rivers and Cumbarjua canal have been declared as national waterways by Inland Waterways Authority of India. To and fro movement of barges has led to erosion of the mud bundhs and Khazan land losing fertility. Also, poor maintenance of the bundhs and sluice gates has resulted in breaching of mud bundhs. In the last 50 years, mangroves have encroached upon Khazan lands of Patto, Ribander, Merces and Santa Cruz and other areas. As a result, a major section of Khazans from Carambolim to Agassaim (the largest Khazans in Goa) are now marked as protected under coastal regulations.

 

Approximately, 600 sluice gate fishing rights are annually auctioned to the highest bidder. The tenant fills the Khazan farmlands with backwaters for catching fish. Throughout the tenancy, every other day the tenant allows the water through the sluice gates into the Khazans and next day, the saline waters are reversed back into the canal. Change in salinity of soil turns fertile agriculture lands to fallow. The tenants practice fake breeching by intentionally keeping bundhs and sluice gates in faulty state. Mangroves, like an opportunist colonizer have colonized the Khazan lands into mangrove forests.

 

Shri Damodar Guna Phadte, Retd. Principal, Mahanandu G Naik Memorial High School, Bhoma, Marcela and belonging to Kharvi community informed, “Sluice gate operators are dumping waters into the fields and catching a bumper catch. Legally water can be stored in a Khazan field after 15 to 20 years for restoration of the Khazan after the approval of the committee, but it’s not being done in this manner”.

 

George Fernandes from Corlim, Old Goa recalls, “My family used to practice farming in the Khazans.  The Khazans now remains flooded with backwaters from the Cumbarjua canal”.

Sluice gates of Volvado, Old Goa

Throughout the year, Khazan lands are filled with saline backwaters to net a bumper catch of fish at the sluice gate.

Fertile Khazans of Carambolim, Old Goa turned into fallow lands

Shot at 100 feet from the ground, a dead mangrove tree stands in the middle of a field smeared with blue-green algae and dried up sea weeds.  Fresh mangrove leaves appear as the Khazans are flooded over and over.  Soil embankments are broken to flood the fertile lands of Khazans with sea water and create favorable conditions for prawns and fish to grow.  In the process, land loses its fertility to grow crops.  The silt doesn’t let water seep into the soil, blue-green algae grow on the Khazan land turning it into a wasteland.

 

With this photo essay, I wish to highlight that there is an urgent need to for the conservation and management of wetlands. Making reforms in Khazan Land Management to check loss of fertile lands and to control illegal pisciculture can be the first step towards conservation of Khazan lands.