South Goan villages face water resource crunch Mining projected as the backbone of Goa's economy threatens to break it in the years to come. Forests are being denuded and with it water resources are becoming extinct with every year of mining activity in the hinterland..
By Jenny Coutinho WHAT CONSTITUTES sustainable development - was one of the hotly debated question in the case involving TN Godavarman Thirumulpad versus the Union of India and others, at the Supreme Court. The Court held: "Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the further generation to meet their own needs is sustainable development". In other words, any development which can support the life system for generations together. In Goa, mining is projected as the backbone of Goa's economy, by people who have stakes in the activity. But the question arises is whether mining is the backbone of Goa or will it break our backbone in the years to come. In the small coastal state, forests are being denuded and with it water resources in the form of springs and small rivulets are becoming extinct with every year of mining activity in the hinterland. The damage is also felt in the small dams and rivers around Goa, with mining silt finding its way into it. Sample this. The Quepem Dam over the Kushawati river is one of the oldest dam in South Goa's Quepem taluka. Built during the Portuguese regime - that ended in 1961 - it has been totally silted due to mining rejects. As a result the water holding capacity of the dam has drastically reduced. Villagers apprehend that in the years to come the dam may run short of water for irrigation. Villager's claims that around 15 years back the depth of the dam was around 6 mts and presently the depth of the dam is not even half a meter, that is due to siltation. Mining in south Goa's adivasi hinterlands belt is creating problems not only to the local communities but is threatening to engulf entire South Goa. Water scarcity is soon to hound Goa if mines - that operate inside Salaulim Water dam reservoir catchment areas - are not stopped immediately. South Goa is heading towards water crisis. Most of the natural water resources are getting dried up and water needs of the people are to be satisfied by supplying water through tanker. In another five to 10 years the problem will aggravate if it's not checked now. The main source of water supply to entire south Goa is from the Salaulim Dam, which falls in Sanguem taluka. If any problem arises to the pipeline entire south Goa runs dry particularly in Salcete, as in Salcete most of the natural resources of water have been destroyed and some are on the verge of destruction. Presently in the catchments areas of Salaulim Dam, there are a dozens of mines are operation. Some of the mines even directly dump the mining rejection in the Salaulim water bodies. Secondly, due to reckless mining in the catchment area of Sanguem and Quepem the fresh water storing bodies like the hillocks, mountains, plateau which are supplying water to the rivers, springs, nallas or to the Salaulim dam are drastically getting destroyed. In the years to come demand for fresh water will increase while on the other hand, the water storing bodies will reduce to mining , which ultimately will result in imbalance and crisis. Even today some parts of Salcete , Quepem, Sanguem are facing water problem. That as water supply is met through the Salaulim water pipeline most of the big hotels, Industries etc. functioning in Salcete area's have dug bore well, even the PWD (Public Works Department) tankers which supply water to Salcete is from the bore well which mean million liters of fresh water is pumped every day. This will ultimately in the years to come results in imbalance in the ground water of Salcete. Ones there is imbalance of ground water in Salcete which will lead to entering the saline water (sea water) into the ground which will further aggravate the water problem. The if mining takes place in these area then Kushawati River will silt , particularly the low lying area of Kushawati river and in the years to come it will a cause to flood. The rejection from the mine in the years to come will silt our sea which may result in increasing the water level of our sea. This will destroy our beaches and along with it Tourism industry which can provide our state sustainable development. The villages which are presently self sufficient like Cavrem, Maina, Pirla, Sulcorna of Quepem Taluka and Colomba Rivona of Sanguem taluka, the mining activity will not only destroy these villages but also in the years to come will vipe out these villages from the map of Goa if all the mining leases granted by the then Portuguese government comes into operation in these villages . There will be hardly any place for forest, water reservoirs , agricultural and even for the villages to live in if all the leases became operational. That due to the destruction of peoples economic zones, the people of these villages will be without any source of income particularly the Tribals who will be forced to bag on the street. And even to bag on the street there will be difficult for them due to damage done to their health by the dust pollution generated by the mining activity. South Goa in order to solve its water problem in the near future is to have strict vigil on the reckless mining. Otherwise Goa will face water problem. Thus any activity which endangers the life itself cannot be called as sustainable development and one which endangers the state in the future should not be promoted. http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=145535 ~(^^)~ Avelino
