To revive dying ponds in Goa, local community seeks help from stranded migrant labourers A group of concerned citizens realised the value of neglected water bodies and came together to form a citizen action group called Catch2o to revive water systems in and around their villages. Mongabay- India February 15, 2021 16:35:01 IST Migrant workers who were stranded in Goa during the lockdown and Lamani women have been roped in to help out with reviving the ponds in Goa which in turns helps them earn an income. Image via Mongabay India/Sharada Kerkar. By Rashi Goel When Goan artist Harshada Kerkar looked out of her home window, she was used to seeing the scorched, parched buffaloes gravitating to the pond in front of her house in large numbers. During the summer months last year, when she didn’t see them lounging in their favourite watering hole, their absence concerned her. “This pond is their respite during the summer months.” she says. Harshada, who is now in her fifties, reminisces the old days when traditionally there was a pond in every village in Goa. Buffaloes used the water to wallow in, other cattle came to drink from it, farmers used it to water their crops. Now it seems that the water woes may have left these animals stranded.