MARGAO, May 5 -- Team Herald

Tensions escalated in Betalbatim as farmers and residents protested against a hotel for "illegally" obstructing traditional access to their agricultural fields and encroaching upon a nullah.

The issue has reportedly been persisting for years with limited intervention from local authorities.

The point of contention is a gate recently erected by the hotel across the nullah.

The villagers asserted that this gate blocks a centuries-old pathway essential for nearly 40 farmers to reach their fields. They emphasised that this access route is ancestral and has been crucial for their agricultural activities for generations.

"This path has been in use for several decades, possibly centuries. Blocking it has severel...