Goa's battle against mining reaches LondonIANS | Jun 29, 2011, 10.52am IST
PANAJI: Concerned about the plunder of resources caused by rampant mining in
Goa, non-resident Goans (NRGs) in London have come together in a bid to end the
pillage.
The 'Save Goa Campaign UK' has been started by Carmen Miranda, a former
director of the Panos Institute. She claims that rapacious mining in the
state's hinterland has put Goa and its people in jeopardy.
"The campaign will help spread awareness amongst the Goan community abroad.
Donate and help raise funds for activists and organisations in Goa that are
taking legal and other actions," Miranda told IANS.
Miranda, who has been actively lobbying with the union environment and forest
minister Jairam Ramesh over the last few years on the issue of the disastrous
effects of unplanned mining in the state, believes that Goa is being virtually
"dug out of existence".
"The Grand Canyon ( Arizona, US) took millions of years through natural
processes. In Goa, the process at one of the mines took less than 50 years. We
are digging out our own grand canyon at incredible pace," said Miranda, who has
been documenting the ravages caused by open cast iron ore mining in Goa over
the last several years.
Over 110 mines are in operation in Goa and 130 are awaiting clearance. Some 600
million tonnes of mining rejects are dumped in about 50 villages spread across
the state's mining belt. Over three-fourths of a million odd trees have been
legally ordered to be cut by the Goa forest department, largely for mining
purposes.
These are some of the startling facts Carmen came across while documenting the
vastly unpopular mining phenomenon in Goa.
"Goa has 46 percent of iron ore leases granted in India, while it is only 0.1
percent of Indian territory," said Miranda. According to the Indian Bureau of
Mines, she added, Goa had been granted 359 of the 769 mining leases for iron
ore that have been issued in the country.
"Over eight percent of Goa's territory is under mining... Through 'Save Goa
campaign UK', we are appealing to the people to take part in lobbying to ensure
no new mining leases are approved," she said.
Carmen's campaign has already stirred a buzz on the internet with renowned
environmentalists pitching in with their views.
Said Bittoo Sehgal, editor of Sanctuary Asia: "In Goa, there are groups of
very, very solid citizens who love their home and life itself. If we can be the
wind under their wings, we will have done ourselves so much good. I do not
understand what it is that makes people crave for money so much that they would
sell their souls. What will the next generation remember us for?"
Goa's more than 100 operational mines are run by mining firms like Sesa Goa, a
Vedanta Resources-owned company, VM Salgaonkar and Brothers Ltd, Salgaonkar
Mining Industries and Fomento Resources Group.
The opposition has accused several ministers in the Goa cabinet of being
involved in illegal mining trade. According to leader of opposition Manohar
Parrikar, nearly 18 percent of Goa's annual output of 40 million tonnes of iron
ore is illegally mined.
