‘Cavelossim fisherfolk’s houses must be protected’

Margao: The Cavelossim gram sabha held on Sunday largely discussed fishermen’s issues, particularly the houses affected by the CRZ regulations. “Mobor-Cavelossim is a village of fishermen and toddy-tappers. The houses of these people and their livelihoods need to be protected,” said Dixon Vaz, sarpanch of Cavelossim.
Speaking to reporters after the gram sabha, Vaz said, “The fishermen and toddy-tappers are the original inhabitants of the village. If others can build houses in the village, why can’t these people living along the coast be allowed to repair or build houses? I will take up the issue with those concerned and ensure they get permission to repair or build houses, and even cast a slab. They can’t be replaced.”
The issue of water hyacinth in river Sal in the village also dominated the proceedings of the gram sabha. “The water hyacinth invasion occurs primarily due to the release of raw sewage into the Sal at Sirvodem, Navelim, and Khareband,” Vaz said, adding that he would soon write to the district collector to convene a meeting of all the panchayats and municipal bodies along the Sal, as well as the MLAs concerned, to thrash out a solution to the disaster.
The annual budget of the panchayat was also presented at the gram sabha.