Goa, June 29 -- BASURI DESAI

Farmers cultivating along the banks of the Talpona River in Cotigao, Poinguinim and Canacona, are staring at an uncertain future as sudden flooding and collapsing riverbanks have begun to threaten their age-old agricultural practices.

What was once fertile land nurtured by the gentle flow of the Talpona is now at the mercy of unpredictable water levels. Local farmers blame poor water retention, decaying riparian vegetation, improper silt removal, and neglected infrastructure as the main reasons behind the crisis.

"Even a little rainfall in the hills now causes the river to rise dangerously. There's no proper holding of water in the upper areas like before," said Shyam Desai, a farmer from Cotigao who has be...