Khazan Lands

Khazans are coastal wetlands ? of Goa. They were reclaimed from mangrove forests, probably in the pre-Christian era by an intricate system of dykes, sluice gates and canals and put to multiple productive uses such as agriculture, aquaculture and salt panning.

• The first documentation of khazans is in the sixth century AD, which is a donation of a khazan land by a king on a copper plate.The khazan ecosystem is an integrated system, initially with major emphasis on agriculture.
• Expenses for maintenance were met through leasing of cultivation and fishing rights. However, with changes in the global economy and market, aquaculture has become the main activity of khazans now. Some of the khazans are used only for aquaculture now and remain uncultivated otherwise but some are still used as paddy fields in monsoons.
• Sluice gates regulate water fluxes allowing sufficient water in the fields, but preventing inundation of khazan lands. Sluice gate shutters close automatically during high tide allowing only a part of water inside.