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2008 International Goan Convention
Toronto, Canada
http://www.2008goanconvention.com
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When Shri Hillal Khodidas was granted the mining lease on 11th July, 1949
little did he perhaps realise that 59 years down memory lane his mining lease
now re-activated by the Fomentos mining group would have stirred a hornets
nest. The villagers of Colamb have been up in arms over the overmining
apparently with the China boom which has bought disaster to their village. Dr
Audhoot Sardessai has been spearheading the movement there. This is one of the
23 mining leases now activated in Colamb. The people have an agenda "people not
profits" they believe should be the motto of anyone venturing into mining.
"
The over 200 shots on "Mining Terrorism in Goa" a power point presentation by
Mr Seby Fernandes an activist (who was recently branded as having links with
the Naxalites of Jarkhand by none other than the Opposition Leader and former
CM Mr Manohar Parrikar even though BJP partymen Mr Hanumant Parab has been
working against the mining degradation at Pissurlem ) who lived the best of
his 14 youthful years in the mining belt with his family and was himself a
victim of tuberculosis as he confessed today owing to the environment he was
brought up made interesting viewing to the four dozen odd public that assembled
at the Hotel Manvin terrace this evening at 1653 hrs.
There were shots of mining activities that have destroyed the Mandovi (Mhadei)
river. One wonders what is the necessity of the battle by the Government of Goa
and Karantaka over diversion of the Mhadei waters to meet the drinking water
requirements of Dharwad Karnataka when it is the mining lobby that is owning
the source of the river which emerges from one of the worlds famed bio
-diversity region the Western Ghats.
Beginning with a shot on the hydrological cycle & eco system map of Goa (
from the watershed atlas of India ) showing the levels from the ghats to the
plateau to the coast and the Arabian sea i.e. moving from East to West the
nearly 42 tributaries of the seven to nine prominent rivers are now polluted by
mining rejects playing a destructive roll on the water bodies. The Khandepar
river, the destruction of the Mulgao lake (which ironically features on the
website of the Dempos Mining goup as it existed 20 years ago) the drying up
Lamgao lake in Bicholim, the Dhabdaba lake almost dry. Significantly in
Pissurlem village nearly 300 wells have been dried up. Opa water too is browned
though it is meant to supply water to the Tiswadi taluka, but to offset this
damage to the Khandepar river a novel idea has been struck to dam the waters of
Mhadei to divert the same to the Khandepar river.
It is shocking to learn from the footage provided to the viewers that almost
67,822 hectares of land ( nearly 1/4th of the geographical area of the
State ) is mined aggressively. It is also brought to notice that our own
lawmakers Mr Joaquim Alemao who represents the Cuncolim Constituency and Mr
Anil Salgaocar MLA Sanvordem have a joint mining activity in South Goa and
there is one shot which reveals that youth from Jarkhand are made to camp in
the forest ravines in a make shift shed and their job is to mow trees and
prospect for ore qualifty digging bore upto 100 to 140 kms underground. From
whom is the mining employment benefitting, they export the ore, fill the
coffers of the Central Government and their own and render huge settlements
involved in traditional occupations like fishing agriculture and shift to
transportation But there is no guarantee to quality drinking water and there is
a thick smog of dust over Bicholim town.
There are several bore well dug to supply water to the mining areas but these
do not bode well for the people as the acquifers dry up and they have to depend
on tanker supplied water rationed to the residents say those from Advalpal who
were present in good numbers.
Another interesting mining lease at Sarvana exists on a river. The reason for
floods are obvious. Then there is the benefits given to those in mining areas
in the name of construction of temples . The activist Mr Ramesh Gauns (a
teacher given a best teacher award this year and who also provide vital inputs
to todays presentation but could not make it as announced earlier as he was
indisposed ) coined the terminology Tempology which implies that the mine
lease holders provide nearly 21 lacs to set up a temple.
Why did some six workers were buried alive at Tollem Mines if it was not for
the precarious mining activity ? was there an "earthquake " at Tudov Sanguem
or was it the blasting impact to prospect mines? The Japanese environmentalists
were conscious of the mining pollution and hence they ensure that beneficiation
or obtaining ore in the refined form instead of crude ore was done at source in
India hence beneficiation plants were set up in Goa. The Selaulim Dam
resorvoir too has been affected by mining at Sivsorem, the simple logic seems
to be destroy the water table and then provide piped water.
Mr Michael Dias from Merces an activist in environment, spoke on the ocassion.
A member of the SGPIAG also wondered whether the leases granted by the
Portuguese some of which were being revived would have destroyed the
environment as the Ministry of Environment and Forests is doing today while
granting random clearances? Ms Adelaide a teacher from Porvorim felt that a
co-ordinated effort of all activists would help arrest the overmining being
carried out. She suggested an all relgion prayer meet at Old Goa paying
obeisance to Goencho Saib St Francis Xavier ( who incidentally the Japanese
label Goa as the land of St Francis Xavier ) to redeem us from the evils of
mining. Mr Kishor Naik from Advalpal gave a brief insight into the damage done
to Advalpal village and the activiies of the villagers against the miining
lobby.
Mr Floriano Lobo of Moira an activist in environment who also co-opted the
programme summed up the deliberations with the following demands:
a) stop all illegal mining activites
b) cancel all existing leases as granted by the Portuguese colonial regime
c)stop/cancel mining leases (operational) in wild life sanctuaries
d) stop piling of rejects in a manner that will meander into agricultural lands
e) restore agricultural lands
f) stop silting of river waters stop pumping out water from mining pits
g) carry out plantation on rejects etc and mined areas
h) stop mining near settlement areas in the villages
CD's of the same were made available to those interested at costs.
from the Manvin Hotel end
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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