[Goanet] Mining

[armstrong augusto vaz]

Goan tribal federation file petition in High Court over resumption of mining

Dust and Queue of mining truck haunt Goa residents

Gakuved Federation has filed a PIL in the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay
at Goa bench citing various violations of laws and rules in ongoing
mining transportation.

Gakuved in its petition has also mentioned about the plight of the
poor tribal villagers living in the mining affected villages like
Caurem, of South Goa. Gakuved Federation has made Chief Secretary,
Directorate Mines & Geology, Goa Pollution Control Board, District
Collector South Goa, SP South as parties along with two mining
companies that are presently handling mining transportation in Caurem
area. The petition was filed yesterday 20.05.2020 and have requested
for urgent hearing on 22.05.2020.

During lockdown when mining transport started people suspected about
the legality of ore transported, but no one questioned as people
wanted truck operators to earn some income for survival during
lockdown period, but if you look at the present situation on road, it
looks like that there is a some strategy is being planned by some
politicians to sell whole of Goa's iron ore deposit during this
lockdown period.

Yes, a definite plan is on the cards to sell Goa mining resources at
break neck speed during the lockdown period throwing all Covid-19
restrictions in the state to the wind.

The ore transported from various parts of the state, for its onward
export is the one which was extracted prior to March 15, 2018 as
Supreme Court has banned mining and put a ban on renewing any lease
agreements in the state.

On January 30, 2020, the Supreme Court allowed mining firms to
transport iron ore that was validly mined from mines in Goa, on the
condition that, they had paid royalty to the government authorities.
This has given a push to the economy in the mining belt, which had
come to standstill after the Supreme Court order.

However, in a bid to finish transportation within six months as per
the Apex court directive, deadline of which ends on June 30, the
mining companies and transporters seem to be violating the law and DMG
regulations.

The unchecked violations, as such, have been threatening the lives and
health of the locals, mostly at Sanvordem-Curchorem  and Quepem who
have opposed the movement of trucks but their pleas have fallen on
deaf ears.

“Instead of extending lease period and giving benefit to only select
people who have benefited from Portuguese regime, go for fresh auction
of all mining lease immediately to start mining, this will definitely
benefit all the stakeholders of Goa,” twitted Sanjay Dessai, Principal
at CES College Cuncolim,Goa, learner & Researcher in the area of
Corporate governance & finance, working for social awareness.

Sanjay Dessai feels for the people of the living in mining affected
areas of Goa, as he was born and brought up in the mining areas. He
feels for the everyday sufferings of the people living in the area.
The turmoil for the common man on account of mining is not a recent
story but has been going for decades.

Here are a few Snajy Dessai’s mining related tweets.

“Happy to know that Goa Govt has permitted to export Rs 4,500,000
(Rs. 4,500 crore) worth of iron ore to revive Goan economy. I just
wanted to know how much direct revenue  Goa Govt will get from  Rs
4,500 crore sale, experts please guide.

Figure of Rs 4,500 crore is arrived as follows. Total ore to be
exported is 75,0  tonnes, Present rate of iron ore per tonne is  $
80 per tonne and exchange rate is Rs 75 per US dollar,  80 x 75 = 6000
per tonne . 75,0 X 6000 = 4,500,000).”

“From where are they getting the valuation of $80 per tonne?
International metal prices are at it's all time low. Even a giant like
Vedanta is reeling & is borrowing at double digits interest from the
market,” wrote another one in response to Sanjay Dessai’s tweet.

"People who have committed illegal mining cannot manage our family
gold. Clearly anyone found to have committed illegal mining should not
be allowed to manage our family gold. Our Supreme Court found the
entire Goan mining industry was mining illegally for nearly five
years. Only auctions or mining through a government company can
achieve zero loss. But the deeper question is why are we selling our
family gold, calling the sale proceeds “revenue” and spending it? This
is fundamentally immoral. The capital must be saved in a future
generation fund, and the fund income distributed as a zonn, a dividend
to all," says Rahul Basu of Goa Foundation.

The Supreme Court in January, this year had permitted 9.5 million
tonne ore lying at jetties and plots, which has to be transported
within six months.

The South Collector has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP) according to which only 25 to 30 trucks could ply per hour from
the mines.

However, the reality seems to be something different.

Locals said that the unregulated transportation choke the road in the
morning (up 

[Goanet] MIning

[armstrong augusto vaz]

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/goan-tribal-federation-file-petition-high-court-over-resumption-vas/?trackingId=U0ujHxBnA%2Bigaamhb%2F1D6g%3D%3D

Re: [Goanet] Mining has impacted Bicholim, Mandovi rivers: Study

[Sebastian Rodrigues]

Please get original studies from Sweta and share as pdf files on this group.

On Sat, Jun 29, 2019 at 12:26 PM samir umarye 
wrote:

> SHWETA KAMAT
> shw...@herald-goa.com
> Finds Bicholim river to be strongly polluted, while Mandovi to be
> moderately polluted
>
> PANJIM: Iron ore mining activities have had a considerable impact on the
> Bicholim and Mandovi river sediments, which in turn affect the ecology of
> bottom-dwelling organism. Mining activities, which are under suspension for
> the last 15 months, can also influence the concentration of metals in the
> Zuari estuary.
>
> This was revealed in a study conducted by Cynthia Gaonkar and Vishnu Matta
> of the department of Marine Science of Goa University.
>
> In a two different studies conducted, they have assessed the impact of
> past iron ore mining on the sediment cores of rivers of Goa, and impact of
> mining on metal concentration in waters of the Zuari estuary.
>
> In the first study, which has been published in the ‘Research Journal of
> Environmental and Earth Sciences’, the researchers said that to assess the
> long-term contamination history of pollutants due to intense mining
> activities in the adjoining areas of rivers of northern Goa, sediment core
> samples were collected from three rivers, Bicholim, Mandovi and Tiracol.
>
> The sediments were analysed for texture, Organic Carbon (OC), major
> elements (Fe, Al, Ca and Mg) and trace metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cr).
> “Depositional environment of the cores was assessed based on the colour and
> the distribution of OC. Environmental parameters such as contamination
> factor, geo accumulation, enrichment factor and pollution load index were
> used to assess the extent of pollution,” the study mentioned.
>
>  In addition, correlation coefficients were calculated to understand their
> relationships among the major elements and trace metals and their sources.
> “The study revealed that the Bicholim river is strongly polluted with iron
> and manganese (Fe & Mn) and moderately polluted with lead (Pb) and Chromium
> (Cr),” the study revealed.
>
> “Whereas, the Mandovi river is moderately polluted with Mn and Pb. On the
> other hand, Tiracol River (though unpolluted in the past) is getting
> polluted with Copper (Cu) and Cr during recent years because of human
> interference,” it added.
>
> “The results indicate that mining has a considerable impact on the
> Bicholim and Mandovi river sediments which in turn affect the ecology of
> bottom-dwelling organisms,” the study concluded.
>
> As far as the Zuari estuary is concerned, the study exemplified that
> concentrations of trace metals in waters of the Zuari estuary were
> significantly less when compared to the periods of rampant mining activity
> around Goa, indicating that mining can influence the concentration of
> metals in the Zuari estuary.
>
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[Goanet] Mining has impacted Bicholim, Mandovi rivers: Study

[samir umarye]

SHWETA KAMAT
shw...@herald-goa.com
Finds Bicholim river to be strongly polluted, while Mandovi to be
moderately polluted

PANJIM: Iron ore mining activities have had a considerable impact on the
Bicholim and Mandovi river sediments, which in turn affect the ecology of
bottom-dwelling organism. Mining activities, which are under suspension for
the last 15 months, can also influence the concentration of metals in the
Zuari estuary.

This was revealed in a study conducted by Cynthia Gaonkar and Vishnu Matta
of the department of Marine Science of Goa University.

In a two different studies conducted, they have assessed the impact of past
iron ore mining on the sediment cores of rivers of Goa, and impact of
mining on metal concentration in waters of the Zuari estuary.

In the first study, which has been published in the ‘Research Journal of
Environmental and Earth Sciences’, the researchers said that to assess the
long-term contamination history of pollutants due to intense mining
activities in the adjoining areas of rivers of northern Goa, sediment core
samples were collected from three rivers, Bicholim, Mandovi and Tiracol.

The sediments were analysed for texture, Organic Carbon (OC), major
elements (Fe, Al, Ca and Mg) and trace metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cr).
“Depositional environment of the cores was assessed based on the colour and
the distribution of OC. Environmental parameters such as contamination
factor, geo accumulation, enrichment factor and pollution load index were
used to assess the extent of pollution,” the study mentioned.

 In addition, correlation coefficients were calculated to understand their
relationships among the major elements and trace metals and their sources.
“The study revealed that the Bicholim river is strongly polluted with iron
and manganese (Fe & Mn) and moderately polluted with lead (Pb) and Chromium
(Cr),” the study revealed.

“Whereas, the Mandovi river is moderately polluted with Mn and Pb. On the
other hand, Tiracol River (though unpolluted in the past) is getting
polluted with Copper (Cu) and Cr during recent years because of human
interference,” it added.

“The results indicate that mining has a considerable impact on the Bicholim
and Mandovi river sediments which in turn affect the ecology of
bottom-dwelling organisms,” the study concluded.

As far as the Zuari estuary is concerned, the study exemplified that
concentrations of trace metals in waters of the Zuari estuary were
significantly less when compared to the periods of rampant mining activity
around Goa, indicating that mining can influence the concentration of
metals in the Zuari estuary.

[Goanet] MINING DEPENDANTS ON THE WRONG TRACK

[Aires Rodrigues]

One fails to understand why the Goa Mining dependants have been agitating
infront of the residence of PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar. They should be
infact marching to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is also the Minister
of Mines and hold him solely accountable for the mining mess.

The BJP and its absolutely impotent three Goa Parliamentarians have been
brazenly fooling the Mining dependants with a load of cock and bull
unrealistic assurances. It is intriguing that the leaders of the Mining
dependants are allowing themselves to be taken for a ride and that too for
so long. So now burying the deceitful BJP under the Mining rubble may be
the only way Forward.

Aires Rodrigues

Advocate High Court

C/G-2, Shopping Complex

Ribandar Retreat,

Ribandar – Goa – 403006

Mobile No: 9822684372

Office Tel  No: (0832) 2444012

Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com

 Or

   airesrodrig...@yahoo.com

You can also reach me on

Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues

Twitter@rodrigues_aires


www.airesrodrigues.com

[Goanet] Mining Mystery And Other Mysteries

[Joao Barros-Pereira]

Add my name to the list of all the others who do not understand what
is going on in Goa. We all know what a mess the mining industry is
going through presently but we cannot understand how it got to be this
way! It is an industry, isn't it? There are rules and regulations,
aren't there? Who is to blame for the catastrophe? I and a lot of
Goans don't understand at all.

The Supreme Court says there are illegal mining leases. What does this
mean? Someone, I assume, issued the illegal leases. Am I wrong to
assume it is the government? So, who was in charge? No one? It is an
industry, and the oldest in the history of Goa, so it is organized,
isn't it? If the government is responsible then it goes without saying
the government has to take responsibility. Or no one is responsible as
mining has been good for Goa, and the government can get away with
anything? Will there be no solution to this problem other than the
Congress Party blaming the BJP and vice versa. End of story?

Is development another word for being able to get away with anything?
The government is above the law? Does the Indian constitution say the
government is above the law? Break the law in any sector and then use
ordinances to get away with it? Is it the special privilege of the
government to break the law in the name of development? I don't think
anyone would agree with this!

Some miners unlike rabbits have burrowed much deeper into the holy
earth of Goa in their search for brown gold. Have they done wrong by
excavating much more than they were given permission? And, they have
become rich through illegal mining and theft. Very rich. The have
gotten away with thousands of crores, more zeros than my math skills
can track or understand. One state in India has penalized the bad boys
of mining for doing the same. But will the Goa government fine them?
It is a mystery. Some people say the government will do nothing as the
government has a big heart, for the rich, at least.

The mining dependents want the government to bail them out which is a
complicated line of reasoning, and I can't follow it. We understand
their livelihood and future is precarious but that is the nature of
doing business. What about other businessmen, especially, sons-of-
the-soil? Will they also be bailed out if they fail in business? Will
government bail out everyone who fails in business? If the government
bails out everyone who fails in business I can understand their
thinking and actions. Otherwise, it is a mystery.

As the government is primarily responsible for this mess in the first
place, it will be beyond conscience to proceed with this line of
reasoning or issuing ordinances. The world will be shocked and so will
Goans who cannot understand what is going on. Is it a mystery?

[Goanet] Mining, Parrikar, Jindal's etc...

[Frederick Noronha]

Prudent (the Timblo network) on mining in Goa (re Parrikar's role, Jindal's
interest, etc): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeHOsE4hk8U


‌
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[Goanet] Mining companies deny loss of revenue to state

[Gabe Menezes]

*http://tinyurl.com/y8z5ef3o *
-- 
DEV BOREM KORUM

Gabe Menezes.

[Goanet] Mining cos prepared for monsoon

[samir umarye]

BICHOLIM: Bicholim police authorities today called a special meeting of mining 
companies from Bicholim and Sattari taluka in order to understand their 
preparations to avoid calamities during monsoon.

The meeting held under the guidance of the Bicholim Dy Sp Ramesh Gaonkar was 
attended by Bicholim PI, Narayan Chimulkar and representatives of 18 mining 
companies functioning in Bicholim and Sattari taluka.

During the discussion Dysp, Ramesh Gaonkar instructed the company officials to 
properly monitor the situation and undertake remedial measures in case any 
natural calamities like landslides, breaching of bund and others such incidents 
take place. 

The instructions like pumping out stagnated water from the mining pit, to 
undertake precautions to have proper drainage of monsoon water during heavy 
rains were given by the police to the mining company officials.

The DySP also assured them that the police team would be despatched for rescue 
operations in case the need arises.  The mining officials said  they had  taken 
all the precautions and would monitor the situation on regular basis during the 
rainy season.

[Goanet] Mining truck owners urge companies to hire vehicles again

[samir umarye]

BICHOLIM: At least 130 truck owners from Pali mines have urged the companies 
and the government to hire their trucks once again, which were thrown out by 
calling them as ‘ outsiders’. Speaking at a press conference truck owners of 
two mining company from Pali stated that the company has asked them to stop 
work by calling them outsiders. The truck owners who are asked to stop work are 
from Surla, Tivim, Ponda, Bicholim and other areas.

A truck owner Vishwanath Mandrekar stated that their trucks are with the 
company since more than 20 years and it is surprising that the company has now 
given such as excuse to stop their trucks.

“ Most of the truck owners are with the company since last more than 20 years.

The company should have at least allowed one truck of the owner so that their 
families would not be facing financial problems,” Mandrekar said.

Vishnu Kambli, another truck owner, stated that after the resumption of mining 
they were hoping that they would get some work but even that hope has been 
dashed because of the order of the company.

“ We demand with the company that they should reinstate our trucks before the 
elections,” Kambli said.

Raghunath Parab, Vishram Naik, Mandar Samant and others were present for the 
press conference.
 


 

[Goanet] Mining has no moral backbone

[Rahul Basu]

*By Sarah Dynah McGinnis*



*http://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/Voice-Of-Opinion/Mining-has-no-moral-backbone/108154.html
*


In 2012, mining leases in Goa had expired and mining activities halted. The
Supreme Court had declared all mining, from 22-Nov-2007 illegal. Goa had a
clean slate! A fresh start could be made in all aspects of mining and
mining controls. Now the question is where to begin?



In order to build a better relationship with mining we first need to
evaluate the impact of mining reduction on state finances, mining
dependents and Goan citizens affected by mining cessation. We also need to
consider not only our own current welfare, but that of our future
generations.



The 2014 Supreme Court judgement drastically reframed mining activity in
terms of delineating physical mining lease boundaries, licensing,
extraction caps and ensuring sustainable development.  Large amounts of
mined ore were handed over to the state to e-auction. In addition an
estimated Rs. 65,058 crores was recoverable on account of the period of
illegal mining.



Despite such hefty amounts gifted by the Supreme Court to the state, why
has the Goa government withheld support from mining dependents that
suffered due to lost income? Is this a cynical strategy designed to
guarantee that our unemployed miners become desperate?  Is it a way to
ensure enough agitation to force a restart of senseless, greed-driven,
destructive form of mining?

There are in effect two key categories of local people involved with
mining: the mining dependent and the mining affected.  Mining dependents
are direct and indirect employees. The mining affected are a much larger
group situated mainly in the mining belt where they bear the brunt of the
mining impacts. Lives have been decimated due to depleted agricultural
incomes, chronic respiratory health due to dust, constant noise stress,
poor water quality (especially the Selaulim dam which supplies South Goa),
the desolation of the river life and frequent mortalities from truck
accidents.

Historically mining has a long tradition in Goa.  Iron ore mines were known
to the Portuguese from the early 1700s. From as early as 1910 manganese ore
was mined in Bicholim. At that time extracting was manual and generated
significant employment.  After WWII demand soared for reconstruction works.
By the time of liberation in 1961, mining was a big employers and some 800
mining concessions were granted.



Mechanisation meant mining on a much larger scale. Explosives, trucks and
sophisticated machinery was employed for excavation, loading and
transporting. Trucks increased in size to 10 tons and barges to 2,000 tons.
According to the DISHA report by TERI mass extraction continued to
accelerate until the mining suspension when growth was at a consistent at
11.1% per annum.



As a direct result of augmented mining activity traditional societies
collapsed: the state witnessed mass incoming migration and women lost
financial status due to the male-dominated industry.



In 1987 the Indian Government passed the Abolition Act, converting
perpetual concessions into fixed term mining leases. The China boom in the
early 2000s caused iron ore prices to soar and in the rush to extract and
export malpractice became common. Numerous PILs were filed and mines shut
down culminating in the release of the explosive Shah Commission Report in
the Parliament, and the subsequent mining bans.



During the Supreme Court hearings following the Shah Commission, it became
clear that there were massive amounts of abuse and violations by miners
with involvement of the state administration.



There is a lot of controversy surrounding the impact of illegal mining on
the economy of Goa. It’s sometimes difficult to separate fact from fiction
but one thing is certain: Goans have suffered a staggering loss due to an
uncontrolled mining bonanza both directly and indirectly. Damage that
equates to an estimated Rs. 10 lakhs for every man, woman and child just on
account of the renewal of the 88 mining leases.



The corrupt status of mining in recent history only serves to line pockets.
It does virtually nothing to support the livelihoods of Goans. We need to
recognise that minerals are a finite resource. According to the Shah
Commission, we were on course to deplete our mineral resources *within 9
years*. Mining will come to an end and Goans will have failed to discharge
our moral duty towards our future generations who will inherit a devastated
land devoid of resources and an impoverished future. Could we look them in
the eye?


One cannot emphasise enough the significance of the Supreme Court ruling
which validates public ownership of Goa’s subsoil minerals.
Intergenerational Equity has now assumed centre stage whereby the people of
Goa are reinstated as the beneficent owners of our land and our minerals.
The ruling endorsed public ownership of minerals 

[Goanet] Mining Co. have starting robbing private property now.

[Dr . Ferdinando dos Reis Falcão]

I guess the Mining companies are starved for pocket money, and are resorting to 
daylight robbery of private property of citizens.
Will the police do anything? Or will they be hand in gloves with the side that 
pays them pocket money too?
So far they didn't even impound the timber nor the truck.


http://epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=12922boxid=42027413uid=dat=5/8/2015




Dr. Ferdinando dos Reis Falcão. 


  

[Goanet] Mining leases: BJP-ruled Goa takes on party's manifesto

[Gabe Menezes]

Volte-face!

http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/mining-leases-bjp-ruled-goa-takes-on-party-s-manifesto-114082600598_1.html
-- 
DEV BOREM KORUM

Gabe Menezes.

[Goanet] ‘Mining-dependent’ demand central govt intervention

[samir umarye]

-- 
Samir Umarye

BICHOLIM: Mining-dependent people from the hinterland and interiors of Goa
on Friday united under the banner of Goa Mining People's Front (GMPF) for a
rally at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maidan in Bicholim. They announced their
appreciation and thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting Goa on
Saturday, before making an appeal to the central government to take
necessary steps towards the resumption of mining in Goa.

It's a matter of great pride for the people of Goa that Prime Minister
Modi chose this beautiful tiny state for his first visit outside Delhi
after becoming Prime Minister, said GMPF president Anand Naik.

Participants at the gathering said they wanted to highlight their plight
casued by the closure of the local mining industry. Some fly-by-night
operators brought disrepute to the industry which ultimately led to the
mining ban. The ban affected the livelihood of 25% of Goa's population,
said Prakash Parab, a member of the GMPF.

GMPF have appealed that Modi and chief minister Manohar Parrikar take
immediate steps to resume mining in the state, renew mining leases, issue
environment clearances to deserving mines, increase the cap on iron-ore
production and formulate a policy on iron ore dumps.

In January, Prime Minister Modi had spoken with great anguish against the
ban on mining, and had said that it will be only a matter of days once the
BJP comes to power at Centre that mining operation will be fully resumed in
Goa. During the recently held Parliamentary election, the people in Goa
offered overwhelming support to the BJP and elected the party's nominees in
both districts of the state. said GMPF member Pandurang Parab adding that
the people are full of hope and optimism that the promises made then will
be fulfilled soon and legitimate mining operations in the state will
restart immediately. This would not only enable mining dependent people to
lead their lives normally and meaningfully but will also fulfill the NDA
government's promise for 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas'. (toi)

[Goanet] Mining Ban lifted but Scamsters still free: GSRP

[floriano lobo]

Mining Ban lifted but Scamsters still free: GSRP

While it is heartening to know that the Supreme Court has lifted the mining ban 
on Goa, the people of Goa will have to wait for a Goa Su-Raj Party (GSRP) MP in 
Parliament and its government in the  Assembly if they expect any action 
against the mining companies and politicians responsible for estimated mining 
scam of Rs 35000 crore as reported in the Justice MB Shah Commission report.

Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has been indicted in the illegal mining 
report and other former CMs like Parrikar and Rane. Politicians such as Subash 
Shirodkar, Filipe Neri Rodrigues and Joaquim Alemao are known to have been 
involved in some form to facilitate illegal mining in Goa and have profited 
from the scam. Mining companies such as Fomentos, Chowghules  Sesa have all 
violated the rules stipulated for legal mining in Goa. The BJP government is 
moving at a snail place in booking the culprits, clearly indicating a nexus 
between both political parties and mining companies, expressed Savio 
Rodrigues, Secretary  President (Youth Affairs).

Mining dependent people would find relief with news of the lifting of the ban. 
However, it is now incumbent on the people of Goa to force the government to 
make mining a state-owned corporation rather than letting a few mining families 
indicted in the Shah Commission report to reap the benefits of the lifting of 
the mining ban. Goa Su-Raj Party (GSRP) has already declared in its Lok Sabha 
manifesto that it would ensure that mining, which is a state-owned resource,  
is structured into a state-owned corporation and we urge to people to support 
GSRP in this demand, further elaborated Rodrigues.

If the government intends to bring to book the mining scamsters,  then it 
should take up GSRP's  challenge to recover 10 per cent of the Rs 35000 crore 
mining scam money in seven-months and the balance in the remaining 29 months. 
But BJP and Congress will both not train their guns towards the mining 
companies or politicians, elucidated Rodrigues.


Sd/-
Savio Rodrigues
Secretary  President (Youth Affairs)
Goa Su-Raj Party
Mob:+919764447313
Website: www.goasu-raj.org

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection 
is active.
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[Goanet] Mining, red industries, townships prohibited in 99 Goan villages - timesofindia.com

[Camillo Fernandes]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mining-red-industries-townships-prohibited-in-99-Goan-villages/articleshow/25794389.cms

  

[Goanet] Mining cap to be fixed for Goa, Supreme Court - targetgoa.com

[Camillo Fernandes]

http://targetgoa.com/goabuzzdet.php?bzid=5408id=3

  

[Goanet] Mining Protest Hypocrisy

[arwinmesquita]

I understand that many Goans are affected but is further destruction the 
answer. What will the protestors do when Goa runs out of the ore?  Also is it 
not true that the main reason for the mining dependents affected today is 
because of few privileged mining families along with Central and specific Goan 
politicians ruthlessly exploiting Goa to amass huge wealth for themselves. Why 
are the protestors not also demanding the return of the mining loot? Not doing 
this makes the protestors lose credibility. The loot when recovered from the 
mining thieves will more than compensate those affected in the mining belt. 
Also for all those questioning from whom the Environmentalists get funds,  
should first answer who funds the huge pro-mining media coverage, massive  
protests etc. The Chief Minister on the other hand is in some way not even 
respecting the Supreme Court judgement on stopping the further 
exploitation/destruction of Goa! 

Arwin
/div

Re: [Goanet] Mining does not help Goans- goanspirit.com -by Lionel Messias

[Venantius J Pinto]

Thanks Camillo.

Way to go Lionel. It helps to paint character portraits as devices that aid
memory. Metaphor after all is when certain qualities, attributes in one
thing / aspect are seen in something else. In general and for reasons hard
to pin--too many of our people are very slow to get a grip on things. In
essence pointing out: we the people without the SUVs, pony tails, designer
clothes, Page 3 mentions and that swagger that comes with piles of cash,
engraves the decrepitude and affirms in image to the sodden mind (aka frak
mendu).

A certain kind of modernity is being played out in Goa. And the more I
think (and its easy to accuse me of self-hatred, but I am not blowing wind)
even the ones who want lucked out. It was not effort in the way one things
of process and progress (whatever one may think that be for ones own). What
is sad is that how the Upper Classes and those with their hands at the till
have managed to explain what it is that modernity delivers.

You put it well in conveying that although it does, it does not for the
many (forget the all). India should have gone a different route, and Goa
certainly could have. The eyes of these bastards says it all, but few have
that ability now to see. We have lost the ability my grandfather did and I
have to see minds. Frightening? Not at all.

Change also comes when people of the same ilk, as in say caste break rank.
But such has not been the case or a gift to our sanity. Even their
well-wishers and some of their supporters to a large degree are temporarily
on the sideline on account of feeling insulted being of the same temper
shall we say. Say boo, and the glue will hold together fast.

The breakdown is complete. Its not that Goans do not want jobs. Its that
one should not be made to do a job when the job creators are high on their
shastric pedestals. Demanding obeisance. Basically seeing it as their
patrimony and that theirs is the only way you could have a job--by
grovelling. Its the same old same old in a modern package. To come close to
sounding crotchety: Instead of Ruby undergarments for the wives its now
Victorias Secret, and upwards. Then its riling up all and sundry if some
bloke draws a pale assed drawing. What a Kalyugian joke. Such Bakasurian
appetites. Not even cannibals eat their own (far as I know).

Or to put Boyles Law in perspective for our politico-engineers: The angle
of the dangle is equal to the mass of the arse provided the heat of the
meat is constant! Hem gheyat. Vadat. Piyat. Nidat, Niyal korit mog korat,
ani itor.

Enuf for now.


Venantius J Pinto



 Message: 7
 Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:20:27 +0530
 From: Camillo Fernandes camillofernan...@hotmail.com
 To: goanet@lists.goanet.org goanet@lists.goanet.org
 Subject: [Goanet] Mining does not help Goans- goanspirit.com -by
 Lionel  Messias


 Lion Roars - 2
 April 22-28, 2013Mining doesn?t help GoansThey keep telling us how the
 tourism industry is our savior notwithstanding our firm dependence on St
 Francis Xavier.  They said the same about the mining industry, only we
 discovered that some of the biggest gainers were a few of the men who turn
 out as your duly elected MLAs, and particularly even those who contested
 and lost.  The thousands that get the fringe jobs because of the mining
 industry are largely migrant workers.  Many of the barge owners too are
 non-Goans or politicians with deep pockets.  And that goes for the barge
 crew too.  Point is the tourism industry really doesn?t help you and I, the
 real aam aadmi.  In other words, we the people without the SUVs, pony
 tails, designer clothes, Page 3 mentions and that swagger that comes with
 piles of cash.Point is also, tourism has also degraded Goa to the worst
 extent.  Only, it has never been recognized as so.  With the exception of
 perhaps two originally Goan owned 5-star hot
  els, all the rest are owned by big chains based outside Goa.  If my
 memory services me correct, no Goan has built possibly even a single
 3-star-upwards hotel in Goa in the last decade.  On the other hand, take
 the case of the shack owners who literally have to beg for a license on
 which the government has put a cap and which as happened this year, were
 issued quite late in the day.  But when it comes to licensing hotels, it
 matters little where you want to build one.Ordinary stakeholders can?t
 protest evenIn fact if you are an MLA like independent Rohan Khaunte it
 could be a breach of privilege if you protest outside his office, as come
 cab drivers found out this month.  The Goa Speaker Rajendra Arlekar called
 it an attempt to intimidate Khaunte.  The first time MLA invoked the cab
 drivers wrath when he said in a legislative debate that taxi drivers were
 fleecing customers, esapecially tourists.  We ask where in India do cabbies
 not fleece you?  Might we add that in Goa, the
  y are also rude and bully you on the road.  A millionaire businessman
 (assets: Rs 5,87,89,835/source: Association for Democratic Reforms

[Goanet] Mining does not help Goans- goanspirit.com -by Lionel Messias

[Camillo Fernandes]

Lion Roars - 2  
April 22-28, 2013Mining doesn’t help GoansThey keep telling us how the tourism 
industry is our savior notwithstanding our firm dependence on St Francis 
Xavier.  They said the same about the mining industry, only we discovered that 
some of the biggest gainers were a few of the men who turn out as your duly 
elected MLAs, and particularly even those who contested and lost.  The 
thousands that get the fringe jobs because of the mining industry are largely 
migrant workers.  Many of the barge owners too are non-Goans or politicians 
with deep pockets.  And that goes for the barge crew too.  Point is the tourism 
industry really doesn’t help you and I, the real aam aadmi.  In other words, we 
the people without the SUVs, pony tails, designer clothes, Page 3 mentions and 
that swagger that comes with piles of cash.Point is also, tourism has also 
degraded Goa to the worst extent.  Only, it has never been recognized as so.  
With the exception of perhaps two originally Goan owned 5-star hotels, all the 
rest are owned by big chains based outside Goa.  If my memory services me 
correct, no Goan has built possibly even a single 3-star-upwards hotel in Goa 
in the last decade.  On the other hand, take the case of the shack owners who 
literally have to beg for a license on which the government has put a cap and 
which as happened this year, were issued quite late in the day.  But when it 
comes to licensing hotels, it matters little where you want to build 
one.Ordinary stakeholders can’t protest evenIn fact if you are an MLA like 
independent Rohan Khaunte it could be a breach of privilege if you protest 
outside his office, as come cab drivers found out this month.  The Goa Speaker 
Rajendra Arlekar called it an attempt to intimidate Khaunte.  The first time 
MLA invoked the cab drivers wrath when he said in a legislative debate that 
taxi drivers were fleecing customers, esapecially tourists.  We ask where in 
India do cabbies not fleece you?  Might we add that in Goa, they are also rude 
and bully you on the road.  A millionaire businessman (assets: Rs 
5,87,89,835/source: Association for Democratic Reforms) Khaunte has perhaps 
taken few cab rides in his life, so he wouldn’t know.Neither does tourismNot 
really.  Here is a case that passes as the best example of both environmental 
degradation and that Goans do not get jobs in the hotel industry.  The Goan 
Real Estate Pvt. Ltd, owners of Hotel Grand Hyatt, were investigated on August 
29, 2012 for certain violations in Nashi and Pirabhat in Bambolim.  The 
investigating agency was the supposedly toothless Coastal Zone Regulating 
Authority which issued a typical show cause notice (GCZMA/TIS/BAM/12-13/01/154 
dated May 17, 2012).  A year later and no action has been taken.  Nada.  
Goanspirit learns that till date the GCZMA had not even asked them to give a 
verbal representation of their wrongdoings.The August (pun intended) inspection 
(we have the report) said this: “Illegal filling up of mud and have also dumped 
construction material at the site illegally. Dumped mud of approx. 9,000 sq 
mts.  Illegally constructing a retaining wall of approximately 700 m”.  The 
inspection report confirmed that the degradation was on “on the HTL (high tide 
line) of river Zuari”.  What transpired was the GCZMA ordered “stop work at 
site with immediate effect.”  But no action was taken.Now the GCZMA likes to 
appear toothless but that it is not, clearly.  It was constituted by the 
Ministry of Environment  Forests, Government of India on the direct orders of 
the Supreme Court to deal with violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 
notification.  The additional Collector and additional district magistrate in 
north and south Goa are the officers responsible for executing its directives.  
Read that as “carrying out demolition of unauthorized constructions in order to 
effectively tackle the serious problem of volations of CRZ Regulations and the 
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986”.According to the CRZ Notification of 2011, 
the entire belt of 100 metres from the high tide line (HTL) of the river and 
200 metres from the HTL from the sea is designated as the No Development Zone 
(NDZ) and hence no construction of any kind is permissible on this belt.  Yet 
at item no. 9 of the site inspection report ‘Distance of seaward boundary from 
river/sea High Tide Line’ – the inspectors said, “On the HTL of River Zuari”.  
Clearly, this is a violation because “all 
re-construction/construction/development/repair between 200 m to 500 m of the 
HTL from the sea and 100 m from the river, require the prior approval of GCZMA 
under the CRZ Notification of 2011.  It’s crystal clear.  Yet the only NDZ 
violations that have ever faced the axe in Goa were those committed by 
small-timers as happened recently in Canacona and some years ago in Baga.  No 
big company has so far had even the most blatant infraction demolished.  None 
whatsoever and never 

[Goanet] Mining doesn't help Goans neither does tourism

[D'Souza, Avelino]

Mining doesn't help Goans
Lionel Messias

They keep telling us how the tourism industry is our savior notwithstanding our 
firm dependence on St Francis Xavier.  They said the same about the mining 
industry, only we discovered that some of the biggest gainers were a few of the 
men who turn out as your duly elected MLAs, and particularly even those who 
contested and lost.  The thousands that get the fringe jobs because of the 
mining industry are largely migrant workers.  Many of the barge owners too are 
non-Goans or politicians with deep pockets.  And that goes for the barge crew 
too.  Point is the tourism industry really doesn't help you and I, the real aam 
aadmi.  In other words, we the people without the SUVs, pony tails, designer 
clothes, Page 3 mentions and that swagger that comes with piles of cash.

Point is also, tourism has also degraded Goa to the worst extent.  Only, it has 
never been recognized as so.  With the exception of perhaps two originally Goan 
owned 5-star hotels, all the rest are owned by big chains based outside Goa.  
If my memory services me correct, no Goan has built possibly even a single 
3-star-upwards hotel in Goa in the last decade.  On the other hand, take the 
case of the shack owners who literally have to beg for a license on which the 
government has put a cap and which as happened this year, were issued quite 
late in the day.  But when it comes to licensing hotels, it matters little 
where you want to build one.

More at:

http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/bits-bytes/256-lion-roars-2

~Avelino

[Goanet] Mining doesn't help Goans neither does tourism

[U. G. Barad]

Lionel Messias writes at:

http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/bits-bytes/256-lion-roars-2

that neither mining nor tourism help Goans.

Question is what does?

Best regards,


U. G. Barad

Re: [Goanet] Mining temporarily resumed?

[Gabe Menezes]

On 18 January 2013 11:13, JoeGoaUk joego...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:

 Mining temporarily resumed?

 COMMENT: Miners, politicians and cops are all above the law in Goa.
-- 
DEV BOREM KORUM

Gabe Menezes.

[Goanet] Mining temporarily resumed?

[JoeGoaUk]

Mining temporarily resumed?

I saw this yesterday around 6pm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk64/8391084013/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk64/8392170248/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk64/8391082031/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk64/8391080121/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk64/8391078219/in/photostream/

barge carrying mines

Mining in Goa temporarily suspended w.e.f. 11.9.2012

http://joegoauk-pointofview.blogspot.in/2012/10/mining-operations-suspended-in-goa-wef.html



joego...@yahoo.co.uk 

for Goa  NRI related info... 
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/GOAN-NRI/

For Goan Video Clips 
http://youtube.com/joeukgoa

In Goa, Dial  1 0 8 
For Hospital, Police, Fire etc

[Goanet] Mining magnate sparks controversy in Lisbon

[Goanet News Service]

Mining magnate sparks controversy in Lisbon

Devika Sequeira


PANJIM: Leading Goan mine owner Auduth Timblo of the Fomento Group struck a 
note of discord at the Semana da Cultura Indo- Portuguesa held in Lisbon 
over the past fortnight to promote cultural and business ties between Goa 
and Portugal, sending out the message to a convention of Portuguese 
investors that they would perhaps be better off not coming to Goa because it 
had too many problems, an overactive judiciary, and an intellectual class 
that stood in the way of most development in the State.


Apparently smarting from the total shutdown of iron ore mining in Goa 
following the Supreme Court order, Timblo said: “ We have an overworked and 
underpaid judiciary coming in the form of judicial activism. The first thing 
( they say) is stop, stop. I will check and the verification continues for a 
long time.” Such an attitude, the Goan mineowner told a roomful of 
businessmen from a PIGS country that’s reeling under its worst debt crisis, 
was digressing from the real problem in India which is the “ evil of 
unemployment”.


Painting a grim picture of the country (“a quarter million suffer from 
malnutrition and deprivation”) and Goa in particular even as the Ambassador 
to Portugal Brij Tyagi, Goa’s Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, NRI 
Commissioner Wilfred Mesquita and the rest of the Goan delegation squirmed 
in their seats, Timblo said the entire mining industry in Goa had been shut 
down and claimed “30 per cent of Goans are unemployed. That’s the reality, I 
don’t know what next”.


“Until 1992, India had redtape. These days it has the green tape,” the 
hotelier-ore exporter lamented, underscoring the point that even the deputy 
chief minister’s speech had stressed on “Green, green, green”. Timblo 
implied that while other Indian speakers who had preceded him ~ Tyagi, D’Souza 
and businessman Anil Counto among others ~ had painted a rosy picture of the 
Goan investment climate, he preferred to “speak from the heart” and caution 
Portuguese investors of the “dangers” that awaited them in Goa. “Everyone 
will say welcome, welcome.Hospitality is upfront.
But don’t be misled. Goa is a very nice place it’s also a very terrible 
place. We have a lot of problems of the haves and have-nots and the have- 
nots are agitating. With massive unemployment in the intellectual class, you 
have an agitation.” Some frantic signaling from the Indian delegation 
finally got the Fomento boss to wind up his “straight from the heart” 
outpouring before a 30-strong Portuguese trade delegation led by Goan origin 
businessman Nelson D’Souza.


“Unfortunately, I had spoken before him and couldn’t do much to stem the 
damage,” Dy CM D’Souza told Herald. He said while he concurs with some of 
the points raised, specifically that India does have a track record of 
bureaucratic red-tape for foreign investors, there was “no need to publicly 
say so” and create an embarrassment.


D’Souza said he was keen to get across the message to potential investors 
that anyone wanting to set up industry in Goa would have to follow the 
environment laws.“ I told them our NGOs are very environment-conscious and 
favour Green industry and we have to respect that, just as the decisions of 
the courts have to be honoured.” Which country doesn’t have its own 
problems, he asked.


Mesquita said he had been taken aback by the very emotional tone of the mine 
owner’s speech. “What was the point? One does not go abroad and retch out 
everything like this. It was completely unnecessary,” he said.


The Shiv Sena’s former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu who was there as a 
special invitee (of Counto’s) proved “the saving grace” (in Mesquita’s 
words) and set the discussion back on course, listing India’s many plus 
points in the changing global scenario.


While many Semana committee members were appalled at Timblo taking off, 
saying they thought it was “in bad taste”, Advocate Zilman Coelho Pereira 
said he saw nothing wrong in Timblo cautioning the Portuguese: “All he’s 
saying is, know what the problems are before you invest in India.” The 
criticism was nothing more than politics, he said.


D’Souza said Goa was in a position to push forward for more trade with 
Portugal given that so many Goan origin persons were in high positions 
there. Apart from Nelson D’Souza and the mayor of Lisbon, Antonio da Costa, 
there were a number of other Goans in Lisbon this State could leverage.


Source:
http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=7565boxid=34040906uid=dat=10/27/2012


Goanet News Service
goa...@goanet.org 

Re: [Goanet] Mining: 1 Kilometer Buffer-Zone for Protected Areas iswrong

[floriano]

Dear George,

Thank you for this and thank you for breaking your silence after Goa RIP
B/rgds
floriano
goasuraj
9890470896


- Original Message - 
From: George Pinto georgejpi...@yahoo.com

To:  estb. 1994!Goa's premiere mailing list goanet@lists.goanet.org
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 6:39 AM
Subject: [Goanet] Mining: 1 Kilometer Buffer-Zone for Protected Areas 
iswrong



Only a 20-25 km buffer zone is acceptable which will protect the air for 
the general population and prevent further contamination of the water 
tables. However, the correct policy is to end mining permanently in Goa 
for health reasons and to stop the destruction of the environment and the 
ongoing uncontrolled deforestation in Goa.


George 

[Goanet] Mining: 1 Kilometer Buffer-Zone for Protected Areas is wrong

[George Pinto]

Only a 20-25 km buffer zone is acceptable which will protect the air for the 
general population and prevent further contamination of the water tables. 
However, the correct policy is to end mining permanently in Goa for health 
reasons and to stop the destruction of the environment and the ongoing 
uncontrolled deforestation in Goa.

George

[Goanet] Mining Looters burdening Taxpayers

[arwinmesquita]

I agree that Goan Mining Dependent people should be provided relief by the 
government. Buy my question is who should fund this relief (A) the already 
heavily overburdened Tax Payer or (B) The Few Priviliged Families/Individuals 
who have illegally amassed crores of rupees.

Should those leading Morchas demanding rights for Mining dependent people, not 
be demanding that the huge loot is returned, which will more than compensate 
the relief to the mining dependent people and also develop Goa. Are we really 
Naïve? When will we start demanding accountability for our Taxes paid? Or is it 
that the overburdened  masses will continue to pay increasing taxes to favour 
the big time crooks, who are looting the State/Country and keeping us backward, 
so that they can enjoy their grossly illegitimate lifestyles!!

Arwin Mesquita, UAE. 

/div

[Goanet] Mining meddle: No brides for many a groom

[samir umarye]

-- 
Samir Umarye

SURLA: The most common sight on the Surla-Pale-Velguem stretch of Bicholim
taluka is that of dysfunctional mines, kulaghars and bachelors.

Lush green kulaghars (plantations) featuring mainly slender areca nut trees
and aromatic spice plantations run through the length and breadth of these
sister villages. They are punctuated by paddy fields at every turn in the
mud roads. With mining operations stopped, the verdant picture is the
perfect example of appearances being deceptive.

Look closer and mucky silt is part of the sweet-water streams that irrigate
the kulaghars; dust particles float on drinking water in wells; and oil
from mining trucks washed in higher areas of Surla float in the water of
paddy fields below. Most stark is the sight of elderly women feeding
fertilizer to trees in kulaghars against the backdrop of heaps of mined
dumps and ravaged hills.

Little wonder then that the region appeals little to brides-to-be.

Velguem http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Velguem hardware store
owner Prashant Sadhale is approaching middle-age. Several rejected
proposals later, his marriage prospects look bleak. It is a social problem
caused by mining, he says, Bachelors can be found in every other house
here. Girls agree at first, but all changes when they see the village.

He adds, Everything seems green now as the mines are not operational. Last
year at this time, mining silt stuck to every leaf and flowed through every
crevice of the village.

A kulaghar owner from Surla, Uday Natekar, echoes Sadhale, I am past 35
and still unmarried. Girls in these three villages do not want to marry
within the area as they can easily tie the knot elsewhere and escape the
ill-effects of mining. And
brideshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/brideswho have seen
better while working in Panaji will never settle down for a
groom http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/groom from here. Never.

An elderly farm help, Pandurang Pednekar, narrates how two grooms of a
family made the mistake of wooing Maharashtrian brides. The girls
agreed, but when they came to see their husbands' homes they ran away.

Sadhale explains that women are willing to tie the knot only if the groom
agrees to shift residence to neighbouring towns such as Ponda, kilometers
away from respiratory illnesses and pothole-infested roads.

While some grooms grab the opportunity, others prefer to tend to their
ancestral kulaghars, some of which date back to almost 10 generations.

It is not uncommon to seek proposals from girls living in other
mining-afflicted regions like Sanguem or parts of Karnataka, who, the
grooms here feel would be more tuned in to the hard life.

According to Natekar, the problem is more acute in families that are
well-off in terms of finances and social status. In the case of boys from
poorer families in the village, they find girls as the brides want to get
away from the financial crisis at their maternal homes. But those looking
for educated and well-off brides stand little chance, he says.

It only adds to the woes of the grooms that despite the lack of brides,
inter-caste marriages are shunned upon in these villages.

When mining was on, our relatives living in towns and cities would hate to
visit our village even if it was for a puja. How then can we expect girls
who have lived in better conditions to opt to settle here? asks an elderly
woman in Pale.

Refusing to give her name, she adds, If you go out even once in the day,
your clothes are grime-covered and need to be washed. You sweep the house
and within seconds mining dust settles down again. No potential bride wants
a life of constant washing and cleaning.

As we turn to leave, we ask a prospective groom if his chances are better
now that the village looks a bit green, and pat comes the reply, If you
know of a girl who is interested, why not?
(ToI)

Re: [Goanet] MINING IN GOA SHOULD TAKE A BREAK

[floriano]

Dear Aires,

This what you have written aka said is the TRUTH, the whole TRUTH and 
nothing but the TRUTH


Thank you.

Most appreciated.

goasuraj
9890470896
www.goasu-raj.org

- Original Message - 
From: Aires Rodrigues airesrodrigu...@gmail.com

To: goanet goa...@goanet.org
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2012 6:56 AM
Subject: [Goanet] MINING IN GOA SHOULD TAKE A BREAK


Scams and Scamsters have now become an integral part of India’s
polity. We now officially know of the hazardous mining that the common
man in many villages of Goa have been witnessing and suffering for
decades. The BJP, Congress, NCP and MGP have all been beneficiaries of
legal and illegal mining in one way or the other. The blatant loot and
plunder of Goa’s natural resources continued even as Manohar Parrikar
had the audacity to tell us that there was no illegal mining in the
State.

Sadly our justice delivery system works to the benefit of the law
breakers. It will take ages to prosecute and punish those who have
ransacked the state by this mining business. I personally feel that by
jailing the accused it will be a further unnecessary burden on the
State exchequer. In jail as State guests they would be fed by the tax
payer and we would find them conveniently cozing up in the
air-conditioned Intensive Care Unit at the Goa Medical College.

The mining companies and contractors who evaded paying their dues
should be heavily penalized. Government officers who blatantly
abdicated their responsibility by not enforcing the law should be
sacked. The Advocate Generals have a lot to explain on the flawed and
partisan legal advice they have been giving the government on the
mining issue.

Goa has had enough of mining. It has devastated a large part of our
once beautiful Goa. It would be now appropriate to put an end to all
mining for some years at least till this mountain of dust settles
down.

After the Shah Commission report the Chief Minister has currently
halted mining. But with so many of his Ministers and MLAs having
direct and indirect interests in the business it must be sleepless
nights for Mr. Manohar Parrikar who is fully aware that the Mining
lobby has the Power to make and break governments. So very soon for
these miners it will be business as usual. For the people of Goa it
will just be one more volte-face by the Chief Minister to add to his
string of politically convenient U turns we have seen over the last
six months. In Manohar Parrikar infact we have a chameleon on display
while Goa sadly changes and sinks for the worse.


Aires Rodrigues
T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat
Ribandar - Goa - 403006
Mobile: 9822684372 

[Goanet] Mining leases

[U. G. Barad]

It is surprising that the Congress party seems to be infected with the virus
of wisdom only when they are out of power.  One really needs to ask them why
they are today demanding annual mining leases.  Just as why Eduardo Faleiro
realized the ‘danger’ of Russian and Israeli tourists only now.

A larger issues.  One of my friends in the mining industry tells me that the
annual lease renewal will only encourage fly-by-night operators who are the
real culprits of the mess that we see today.  He says that mining plans are
a long-term one, since it is necessary to mix the good quality ore with
lesser quality so as to extend the life of the mines.  If only good quality
ore is produced, then the lesser quality will not have a market tomorrow.

Also, the investment in mining cannot be recovered in one year.

Does anyone know whether there is any country which lets out mining leases
only for one year?

Best regards,

U. G. Barad

Re: [Goanet] Mining vs. Water

[SOTER]

Oh really! Indiscriminate mining is still on? I thought it has disappeared 
after Parivartan and after the Church got Chilled. 

-Soter

[Goanet] Mining vs. Water

[Arwin Mesquita]

The Battle is now on between (A) Mining Greed(which is devastating Goa's
Environment) vs. (B) Water i.e. the thing we take for granted until it
becomes a real crisis.  Goans particularly the complacent ones, please
think long and hard on which side you want to support. The latest I heard
is that indiscriminate mining has scored some points vs. Water i.e. by
Polluting the Selaulim Dam which provides water to a very large section of
Goa's Population. Of course should Mining win vs. Water, there a will a a
few number of filthy rich people/families and the losers will the
overwhelming majority of Goan population.

Arwin Mesquita,UAE

-- 
Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/

Please also see below:
1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/
2. Rape of Goa : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/
3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/
4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO:
http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686
6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/

[Goanet] Mining Bypass - Corridor to devastation of Goa?

[soter]

Chief minister lays foundation stone for mining bypass
TNN | May 31, 2012, 04.26AM IST

MARGAO: Chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday laid the foundation stone 
for phase I of the Uguem-Capxem mining bypass road at Sanguem, thus setting the 
stage to fulfill another of his poll promises.

Parrikar had assured the people during his campaign meetings before the 
assembly elections, that the bypass road will be completed within 30 months of 
the BJP coming to power.

Phase one of the project entails construction of an 8.86 km four-lane road from 
Uguem to Guddemol. Parrikar announced that the work in the mining corridor will 
be completed in three phases within 20 months. Those whose houses will need to 
face the axe on account of the project will be rehabilitated to an appropriate 
place, the chief minister assured.

South Goa collector N D Agarwal, deputy collector Sandhya Kamat, Sanguem MLA 
Subhash Phaldesai and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral were among the dignitaries 
who were present on the occasion. Phase II of the mining corridor extends from 
Guddemol to Capxem jetties, while phase III has been planned to connect the 
mines of Cavrem, Maina, Rivona, etc, to the main mining corridor. Of the 17-odd 
kilometres that comprise phase I and phase II, 11km is private land, 4km is 
forest land and 2km is revenue (government) land.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Chief-minister-lays-foundation-stone-for-mining-bypass/articleshow/13680735.cms

[Goanet] Mining, Mafia and Ministers

[John Collaco]

Who killed IPS officer Narendra Kumar Singh?


Read more at: 
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-9-oclock-news/who-killed-ips-officer-narendra-kumar-singh/225912cp

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-9-oclock-news/who-killed-ips-officer-narendra-kumar-singh/225912

John Da Silva Collaco
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[Goanet] Mining: Goa's starving stomachs V/S Goa's choked lungs and damaged kidneys

[SOTER]

It was a treat to watch several well fed and double sized pro-mining protestors 
drive into the city with their posh cars and march through the streets of 
Panjim with placards and banners appealing to save them from starvation. The 
appearance of these protestors gives the impression that they have enough body 
mass to starve even for six months. How long will this farce continue?
We all know the hypocrisy and hollowness of the BJP and their faithful 
anti-mining disciples that tom-tom around town about their love for Goa. We 
cannot forget that elections are round the corner.
So while a miniscule section (portrayed by the media as thousands) cries about 
facing starvation due to closure of illegal mines, what about the millions that 
choke from dust polution and thirst due to non-availabiltiy of clean drinking 
water caused by aggressive and indiscriminate mining? 
Can someone's Right to Livelihood deny another's Right to Life?

-Soter

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Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve

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[Goanet] Mining bandh to be supported by political bigwigs involved in illegal mining.

[Arwin Mesquita]

---
 Goanet Classifieds 
---

   Enescil, a Brazilian engineering firm requires Engineers, Architects

and Draftsmen, proficient in AutoCAD, for their new office in Goa

   Those interested can email enescil@gmail.com by 15 November 2011

 Selected candidates will be sent to Brazil for 2 months training

---



http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/Mining-bandh-to-be-supported-bu-political-bigwigs-involved-in-illegal-mining/54566.html


 *TEAM HERALD*

*teamher...@herald-goa.com*

*PANJIM:* With those affected by the closure of mines deciding to observe
bandh on Tuesday, the State political bigwigs, whose names figure
prominently in the illegal mining, have extended their support to the bandh
call.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Suubash Shirodkar says that the
protesters have the sympathy of the Congress party.

“The bandh call is right, it is they – the truck owners, barge owners and
the other businesses depending on mines, who are facing the threat of
closure of mines business in Goa,” Shirodkar told Herald.

While stating that he personally supports them and the party sympathizes
with them, Congress has not yet taken any decision whether to support them
or not.

“We will take decision by Monday evening as we are busy with the Congress
padyatra for now,” he said.

Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao, who is also involved in mining
business says that he will support the bandh.

“I am always for legal mines and I again say that illegal mining be stopped
but whether I am officially supporting the bandh or not, I can’t say for
now,” he says.

Curchorem legislator Shyam Satardekar, who is also involved in ore
transport business, goes a step ahead and says that I am blindly supporting
the agitation.

“Why should legal mining be stopped due to illegal mines? Why do the
authorities not act on illegal mining?” he asked.

“I will blindly support the bandh Tuesday, as it is the question of the
livelihood of lakhs of people who depend on this industry,” Satardekar says.

However, Satardekar was unsure whether he would be physically present for
bandh in panjim or not.

“We have several functions including the concluding of Congress padyatra,
so I will see whether I can make it or not,” he said.

Besides, Subash, Joaquim and Shyam, the bandh also seems to have support of
Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane and Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar.

However, efforts to contact the two, for their response,  proved futile.


-- 
Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/

Please also see below:
1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/
2. Rape of Goa : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/
3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/
4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO:
http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686
6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/


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Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve

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[Goanet] Mining Profits must be returned to Goa, by the Anti Goans

[Arwin Mesquita]

---
 Goanet Classifieds 
---

   Enescil, a Brazilian engineering firm requires Engineers, Architects

and Draftsmen, proficient in AutoCAD, for their new office in Goa

   Those interested can email enescil@gmail.com by 15 November 2011

 Selected candidates will be sent to Brazil for 2 months training

---



 Ref: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/fromndtv/212477?mid=525
The Shah commission has done Goa a favour by disclosing the horrific facts
on ruthless mining destroying our state, to benefit the Politicians and
their accomplices. We must also appreciate the efforts of all genuine
activists who have worked tirelessly to bring out the dark side of mining.
The Money Trail must start now and the same must be recovered from the
priviliged few and be given back to (1) Compensated Goans in mining belt
whose livelihoods are affected; of course the income they were getting is
pittance as compared to what the mining god fathers rake in for themselves
and their families (2) Land restoration of the affected areas (3) Money
back to the state to increase the standard of living of all Goans; which
will in return stop Goans migrating for opportunities abroad !! And of
course criminal action must be taken, against all the Anti Goans who have
been selfishly sucking Goa dry for so long!!

Arwin Mesquita, UAE.






-- 
Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/

Please also see below:
1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/
2. Rape of Goa : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/
3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/
4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO:
http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686
6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/


---

   Protect Goa's natural beauty

Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve

  Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php

---

[Goanet] Mining in Goa in German Press

[IGSG Goa]

---
 Goanet Classifieds 
---

   Enescil, a Brazilian engineering firm requires Engineers, Architects

and Draftsmen, proficient in AutoCAD, for their new office in Goa

   Those interested can email enescil@gmail.com by 15 November 2011

 Selected candidates will be sent to Brazil for 2 months training

---



*Deutscher Text siehe weiter unten*



Dear reader,

Preparations for the 4th German Cultural Week in Goa (December 7 – 11,
2011) are almost finished. We will soon be able to send you the final
programme.

*The Oktoberfest and Bazar will be on Sunday, December 11. Open to all,
entry free.*



We are pleased to draw your attention to three articles which have recently
been published by the German and Goan press as well as to a TV series on
Vasco da Gama's Journey to India and a letter sent by the German citizen
Mr. H. Muster to the Indian Ambassador in Berlin.



*DEUTSCHE WELLE (Germany's National Broadcaster): Surface mining in Goa
holiday idyll*

Goa, the smallest state in India, is known as a vacation paradise. But now
things come to the iron ore industry has become. In surface mining, and
without regard to environmental damage.

Please find the complete article (in English) here:

Surface mining in Goa holiday
idyllhttp://www.igsg.org/de/press_2011-10-28_DW_Minas-en.htm



*DIE WELT (German Daily): 14-year-old German raped - Minister's son free*

An Indian minister's son who allegedly raped in Goa in 2008, a German
youth, is again at large. After the fact, he dipped a month as long.

Please find the complete article (in English) here:

14-year-old German raped - Minister's son
freehttp://www.igsg.org/de/press_2011-10-28_DieWelt_Monserrate-en.htm



*HERALD (Goa) - Putzmeister: Leading by technology*

German company Putzmeister, based at Verna Industrial Estate in Goa, is
hoping to revolutionalise the Indian construction industry with their
concrete machines. An interview to managing director Michael
Schmid-Lindenmayer was published in the Business Section of the Goan daily
Herald: Please read the full article (in English) here:

HERALD Putzmeister: Leading by
technologyhttp://www.igsg.org/de/press_2011-10-28_Putzmeisterr-de.htm



*NDR (German TV broadcaster): Vasco da Gama and Portugal's departure into
the unknown*

In July 1497 the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama departed from Lisbon to
one of the most adventurous voyages of world history. With four ships the
28-year-old captain wanted to find a sea route to India - on the eastern
route around Africa.

Please find more elaborate resumes (in English) and the link to the four
films (in German) here:

Vasco da Gama and Portugal's departure into the unknown
http://www.igsg.org/de/press_2011-10-28_NDR_Film-VdaGama-en.htm



*LETTER of the German citizen Mr. H. Muster to the Indian Ambassador in
Berlin*

In his letter (in German) Mr. Muster focuses on three subjects. He
complains that it is difficult for tourists to obtain visas for India
especially for longer periods. He also says that many tourists would like
to come to India two or even three times a year, but that this is almost
impossible because of the two month's gap between visas.

The second subject of his letter are Goa's waste and waste water problems.
Mr. Muster compares the rich state of Goa to the clean and neat town of
Sirsi/Karnataka where roads are extremely well maintained and digs along
the roads drain the surface water - to the contrary of what he observes in
Goa. In the end Mr Muster complains about Goan taxis and tucktuck not
having meters and thus tourists being cheated.

Mr Muster ends his letter with the sentence: It is due to Goa that the very
positive image of India is turned to be a negative one.

Mr. Muster's letter is accompanied by articles on the matter from the Goan
press (in English)

Please find the letter (in German) and the press articles (in English) here:

LETTER of the German citizen Mr. H. Muster to the Indian Ambassador in
Berlin http://www.igsg.org/de/press_2011-10-28_H.Muster-en.htm



Kind regards

IGSG

i...@igsg.org

Mobile: 9763365050

___



Lieber Leser, liebe Leserin,

es geht mit schnellen Schritten auf die 4. Deutsche Kulturwoche in Goa (7.
– 11. Dezember 2011) zu. Das endgültige Programm werden wir Ihnen bald
zusenden.

*Den Termin für das Oktoberfest mit Bazar können Sie sich schon vormerken:
Sonntag, 11. Dezember. Eintritt frei.*



Heute möchten wir Sie auf drei Artikel hinweisen, die kürzlich in der
Presse in Deutschland bzw. Goa veröffentlicht wurden, sowie auf eine
NDR-Filmserie über Vasco da Gamas Weg nach Indien und einen Brief von Herrn
H. Muster an den indischen Botschafter in Berlin.



*DW ONLINE Tagebau im Urlaubsidyll Goa*

Zerfurchte 

[Goanet] Mining, The Elephant In The Room

[Carmen Miranda]

---
   http://www.GOANET.org 
---

   Protect Goa's natural beauty

Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve

  Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php

---
Thank you Freddy for your posting - Mining, The Elephant In The Room.

To add to what you said, may I just clarify that the issue of mining
in Goais now viewed with distorted glasses thanks to myths and
misinformation
about its contribution to Goa’s state coffers and economy and employment. I
can assure you that mining is not the backbone of Goa’s economy. I can
assure you that even taking into account the number of people who are
directly  employed and indirectly employed by this industry, it is still a
minority of people whose work is seasonal, not permanent or regulated,  and
it is short-term.

The problem is that the few that have benefited are the ones who shout
louder. People get the impression that mining is what kept Goa’s economy
going so far because they get impressed with the noise and pollution  by the
15.000 trucks (80% non-Goans)  transporting ore up and down our narrow
roads, and get impressed with the constant flow of 400 barges that go up and
down Mandovi and Zuari rivers transporting ore and spilling  several hundred
thousand tones of iron ore in the rivers each year to the point of  NIO
having said that the estuaries of Mandovi and Zuari are in danger of total
environmental collapse. Also there is the issue of presence of heavy metals
in the food chain in Goa as result of pollution from mining dust and many
other related issues that are conveniently swept under the carpet.

But while so much noise is made by the few that are benefiting from the
destruction of Goa, no one is saying much about the thousands of people
whose livelihoods have been destroyed, whose health has been destroyed ,
whose entire villages have been dug out for mining, whose wells and ponds
have dried up, whole agricultural land has been silted and so on…and this
impact is as result of legal mines and illegal mines. The legality or
illegality of it is not the issue . It is the destructive nature of the
industry - can Goa's fragile ecosystem cope with it?

There is an urgent need to make people aware of the myths and inconvenient
truths about mining in Goa. And having started this process with Goans in
the  UK,  I now hope to try and do a bit of awareness raising during my
visit to Goa next month – especially I wish to impress upon people that
there are alternatives to mining in Goa, alternatives that will bring
long-term benefits and sustainability  to livelihoods of our people.

Goans  should be armed with knowledge of real facts and figures about this
issue, instead of just believing what the mine owners and government
officials entangled in the webs of corruption, want Goans to believe.

Carmen Miranda

[Goanet] Mining, The Elephant In The Room

[Freddy Fernandes]

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Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve

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Mining, The Elephant In The Room

Mining in Goa is the legacy of the Portuguese, even though the Salazarian rule 
left the Goan shore fifty years ago their mining legacy has torn and is still 
tearing Goa apart, even to this day. The metals that are derived from this ore 
are precious indeed, but though the ore comes out of the earth it's surely not 
agriculture. In agriculture we till the earth or mould and enrich the earth and 
the earth in return enriches us with food on our plates, but mining on the 
other hand, on doubt enriches us and may be more than agriculture, 
unfortunately just a drop goes to the public coffers, rest is accumulated by a 
select few elite and that too at the cost of obliterating the earth, which as 
scientists have proved could be detrimental to the very survival of humanity.

Most of our elite argue that Goa has so far survived only on mining and that if 
mining is stopped our economy will suffer. It's like a lot of male cynics who 
say, Women, you just cannot live with them, nor can you live without them, 
our elite think mining too is in a similar situation in Goa. No doubt that the 
mining industry is an integral part of our economy, some may say it's the back 
bone of Goa's economy and they could be right but if reports are to be believed 
our economy has been deprived of more than 10,000 crores in just the last five 
years and only God knows how much more before that, through illegal mining and 
undeclared exported ore and that figure could certainly multiply many times 
over in the longer run. 10,000 crores could have certainly brought in a hell of 
a lot, of the much needed infrastructural development in Goa but thanks to the 
greed of the few elite, we have been deprived of those opportunities.

Even though Goa is just a tiny speck on the Indian map, there is ample 
documentary evidence that of the 110 Kms length of Goa around 80 Kms of the 
length is a mining corridor on it's eastern front, reports today also show that 
mining is rapidly increasing not just in length but in width as well, which in 
it self is frightening and should be cause for concern for every Goan, because 
in the name of economics Goa could just be turned into one very big crater and 
that day is certainly not far away.

Even with all the income generated by mining, is the extent of the devastation 
of our ecology and environment justified or can it be justified ? Our 
Authorities and think tanks, for the sake of the our longevity, have to come 
up with a solution to protect our already fragile and crumbling ecology and 
environment and just economics as the reason for the continued attack on nature 
will not be a good enough reason for us, nor for the generations to come. We 
need to protect our nature if not for anything else, at least for our very own 
survival and the survival of our posterity

A few days back the miners showed their strength on the streets of Panjim as 
well as the Mandovi, ofcourse with the money power that the mining elite yield 
and whirled; they could buy any amount of support, as was demonstrated, while 
the gathered masses said that their livelihood depended on mining I ask, what 
about the people living in and around the mining areas whose very lives and 
livelihood are at risk too because of mining ? Are they any less humans or less 
Goans ? Since when did the value of life become less than the value of 
livelihood ? Or what about the irreversible damage that mining has cause to our 
ecology and environment ? Are all those involved and depending on mining only 
interested in their own livelihood and the rest can go to hell ?

What we need at the moment is a balance between protecting, our resources, our 
environment and our economy. First and foremost our ecology and environment 
should be our main concern, then stop illegal mining completely and control 
legal mining in such a way that it can be phased out, while mining firms 
regenerate and maintain green where ever possible by planting trees, woods and 
natural parks, in the mean while alternative sources of income and employment 
for the involved people should be looked at by the authorities, it will be a 
difficult task but certainly not impossible.

As far as problems and issues in Goa are concerned, mining is certainly the 
elephant in the room and our Authorities and the government will have to buckle 
it up and fast too, to get our priorities right because time is running out and 
the more the delay in action the nearer will be the inevitable 

[Goanet] Mining Blood Money (NRI's Particularly please retrospect)

[Arwin Mesquita]

---
   http://www.GOANET.org 
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   Protect Goa's natural beauty

Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve

  Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php

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  It is outrageous to see the scale of money that has been and is being
looted from Goans, to benefit Central and Goan Ministers; who in particular
are pimping Goa to their masters at the Centre. Goans have to ponder on what
we could have done, if all these money was used for Goans in General via
controlled mining? There would not have been such migration of Goans to
other lands for money opportunities, families being separated i.e.
husbands/wives/sons/daughters separated from parents to work abroad, Goans
struggling to make ends meet in Goa and then enslaved to Anti Goan
Politicians for favours, handouts, goodies etc so as to ensure these corrupt
Politicians are re-elected; who are in addition are trying to get their
girlfriends,wives,sons and daughters into politics; so as to further loot
Goa and Goans.The net results Goans have got from mining are environment
destruction, reduction in water resources, pollution etc  And these Anti
Goan politicians have the audactity to call themselves Man of the masses,
Konkani Fighters, True Goans and all sorts of rubbish. It is high time
Goans open their eyes and see their MLA's for what they truly are and bring
each of the concerned MLAs to justice, for the decades of exploitation of
Goa and Goans!!

Arwin Mesquita, UAE



-- 
-- 
Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/

Please also see below:
1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/
2. Rape of Goa : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/
3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/
4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO:
http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686
6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/

[Goanet] MINING IMBROGLIO IN GOA

[godfrey gonsalves]

Can there be smoke without a fire?  With  90 of the 336 mining leases operating 
in Goa  as per the Directorate of Mining records and only nine having requisite 
licences others allowed to operate as deemed post 2007 (pending renewal of 
leases ) Justice M. B. Shah's ( retd Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court )  
3 day mission in Goa is clearly to unearth the  sadistic  rape of our tiny  
land rich in bio-diversity  following the  heavy demand for low grade iron ore 
to meet China's need.  The meteoric rise of 9 millions metric tonnes of ore 
mined in the last fiscal 2010-11 speaks volumes of the illegalities.
 
Indeed a few merchants  whose  greed runs rough shod over native sentiments, 
and environment concerns, caring a hoot to the ethical norms  of  endearing a 
sustainable development have damaged the fair name of the mining industry in 
Goa in the recent past.
 
Mining in Goa had graduated  from the late fifties to  date as a 
fair avenue  for employment generation besides earning the much needed foreign 
exchange.  The irony of the situation is that unlike other parts of the country 
 it still continues  in the hands of a few private players and remains a 
blessing in disguise for the fragile enviroment of this State.
 
There has been a reasonable  improvement in wages,  living conditions as well 
though much much more ought to be provided to those that have shifted from 
agrarian livelihood to mining.  Development comes with a few sacrifices but it 
must be with a human face albeit sharing the bounty is the corollary. 
 
Even in the arena of environment degradation much  was expected from the mining 
industry as a quid pro qua to the affected people living in the Central 
and western ghat region of the State. The divide is obvious those that stay 
away from these lands have suffered for the comforts of those living away; to 
the extent that the unaffected ones  have developed thick skin towards the 
sufferings of those within the precincts and periphery of the mining areas.
 
Appeasement through doles for those that squeal are no relief to the misfortune 
of those in these under-developed regions of the State.  Clearly a rural urban 
shift is witnessed  since the last decade with the eventual vaccum being filled 
in by migrants from backward districts in  the country where stark poverty is 
the order of the day and ones earning does not go higher than half a dollar.
 
Obviously the magnitude of the crime  witnessed in the recent years is in 
collusion with the Central and State Government machinery thus the findings  
will reveal much more and heads will begin to roll
 
The rule  book was  thrown to the winds for far too long  by these ' fly by 
night operators  and politicians of all shades and colours followed suit. 
Obviously in a world where materialism and ostentatious display of wealth 
rules; those  who could not beat them ( the unscrupulous ones ) reluctantly 
joined them to share the bonanza and have now  unwittingly come under the 
scanner.  
 
Justice Shah  Commission recommendations will perhaps lay down the rules for 
the mining industry to be followed post Golden Jubilee year of our Liberation.
 
For now a moratorium on mining is  a must as a first step  to help create a 
conducive environment.  Those that adhere to the rule book may then be allowed 
to resume operations.  
 
While those that have shared the booty need  to be taxed heavily even penalised 
and the funds so recovered ploughed in   restoring the damage caused in the 
last five fiscal years. The unscrupulous ones have all raised hands clamouring 
for regularisation as recently witnessed at the first and only  public hearing  
and this opportunity must not be lost.
 
For when the State itself indulges in criminality  can others be expected to 
lag  behind in a system that has decayed beyond rectification?
 

GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS) 
gonsalvesgodfre...@yahoo.co.in

[Goanet] Mining Contaminating Democracy

[Arwin Mesquita]

http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=953boxid=33842750uid=dat=8/5/2011--



*letters to the editor*

*For letters to the editor contact us at editorherald@ herald- goa. com*

Mining contaminating democracy It is well known that mining in Goa has a
very insignificant contribution to the state’s GDP and the profits are not
used for the benefits of Goans at large.

The profits in fact are mainly diverted to ministers at the centre via their
agents in Goa who are also senior ministers in the current Goa government.
Therefore, one should not be surprised why the corrupt anti- Goan government
in Goa is reluctant to stop the destructive/ illegal mining which is
devastating GoA. The huge profits realised by the anti- Goan politicians are
then put to some use in buying off voters with rice, sugar, paying of
amenties like water/ electricity, sponsorships of tiatrs, football
tournaments, religious ventures etc. One sure way to stop the contamination
of democracy is to put a stop to the anti Goan politician from gaining huge
incomes illegally from mining.; which I hope we appreciate is keeping the
current corrupt anti Goan government in power.

Arwin Mesquita, UAE

Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/

Please also see below:
1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/
2. Rape of Goa : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/
3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/
4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO:
http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686
6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/

[Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention

[SOTER]

George commented:
There should not be any doubt that Goa's media is on the side of the mine 
owners, mega-project builders, politicians - they are linked through 
business dealings, awards and grants for art and entertainment events, 
sponsorships, advertising.


Comment:
Leave aside the media, do the Goa miners and builders not control the 
literary and activist circles and so claimed intelligensia of Goa? The 
miners and builders decide who will rule Goa, isn't it?
While Vedanta's mining will get world wide publicity for its impact on Goa, 
the filth of other culprits will be swept under the carpet and projected as 
philantrophists. How many of the elite activists will boycott a social 
function if the mining lobby is present or hosting it? These will be claimed 
to be two different issues, isn't it?
Let us continue to celebrate in a fools paradise called Goa. As the bible 
says, How would it benefit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own 
soul?


-Soter 

[Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention

[Mario Andrew Rodrigues]

Dear Soter, 
 
Thanks for remembering the famous  How would it benefit a man to gain the 
whole world and lose his own 
 soul? which when repeated by Ignatius of Loyolla  gave us St.Francis Xavier 
and many other Saints

May we take time to Thank ALL Jesuits  for ALL  their work , activities, 
education, discipline, guidance.
 
Hope those in power and have authority in Goa , find their SOUL to do what is 
RIGHT, HELPFUL, BENEFICIAL to society...
 
Happy Feast
Mario 
 
 
 
 
 
 Message: 3
 Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:17:49 +0530
 From: SOTER so...@bsnl.in
 To: goa...@goanet.org
 Subject: [Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention
 Message-ID: 000501cc4f4d$c9daaf50$1901a8c0@user77948b9580
 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
 reply-type=original
 
 George commented:
 There should not be any doubt that Goa's media is on the side of the mine 
 owners, mega-project builders, politicians - they are linked through 
 business dealings, awards and grants for art and entertainment events, 
 sponsorships, advertising.
 
 Comment:
 Leave aside the media, do the Goa miners and builders not control the 
 literary and activist circles and so claimed intelligensia of Goa? The 
 miners and builders decide who will rule Goa, isn't it?
 While Vedanta's mining will get world wide publicity for its impact on Goa, 
 the filth of other culprits will be swept under the carpet and projected as 
 philantrophists. How many of the elite activists will boycott a social 
 function if the mining lobby is present or hosting it? These will be claimed 
 to be two different issues, isn't it?
 Let us continue to celebrate in a fools paradise called Goa. As the bible 
 says, How would it benefit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own 
 soul?
 
 -Soter 
 
 
  

[Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention

[Carmen Miranda]

Soter Commented:
Leave aside the media, do the Goa miners and builders not control the
literary and activist circles and so claimed intelligensia of Goa? The
miners and builders decide who will rule Goa, isn't it?
While Vedanta's mining will get world wide publicity for its impact on Goa,
the filth of other culprits will be swept under the carpet and projected as
philantrophists. How many of the elite activists will boycott a social
function if the mining lobby is present or hosting it? These will be claimed
to be two different issues, isn't it?
Let us continue to celebrate in a fools paradise called Goa. As the bible
says, How would it benefit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own
soul?


Carmen's comment:
The initiative to speak about mining in Goa at Goa Global Convention was
precisely to expose the impact of all mining in Goa, the legal and illegal,
the illegalities of the legal who now we find are in fact also illegal,  and
to dispel  the myths regarding the benefits of mining to Goa.

You can continue to celebrate  in a fools paradise called Goa if that is
what you want to do. But I will meanwhile try my best to let at least the
entire Goan community worldwide (including Goa) know about the impact of all
mines in Goa and not only of Vedanta. Vedanta is of particular interest to
people in UK because it is the only multinational company operating in Goa
and registered in UK, so the British investors have a say about this
particular business. All the other mining companies are  mostly family
businesses and possibly of more interest to Goans, because almost all
belong to Goans.

This initiative can be one among many catalysts for CHANGE IN GOA.
I don't give up easily.and no one in Goa should give up either. I
believe in the power of the TRUTH about this issue which people need to know
about.

Carmen





George commented:
There should not be any doubt that Goa's media is on the side of the mine
owners, mega-project builders, politicians - they are linked through
business dealings, awards and grants for art and entertainment events,
sponsorships, advertising.


-Soter



--

[Goanet] MINING IN GOA: VOICE HEARD IN LONDON,U.K VEDANTA

[Gerald Fernandes]

 CONGRATULATIONS! OBRIGAD! The action by activist/s at the Vedanta meeting in 
U.K will go down in Goan  her/history as the international  bugle call against 
the wanton destruction of Goa by the mining industry.We are certain that caring 
 international tourists will question whether their money should go to the Goan 
Exchequer which does not protect the environment. Lets make things happen. Lets 
organise instead of agonising. 
 
Lets begin to hasten the end of unregulated mining. Lets loosen the 
stranglehold of the Mining lobby on the Govt. of Goa.
 
LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA!
 
Gerry

[Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention

[Carmen Miranda]

I would like to take this opportunity if I may, to clarify two points made
by Melvyn Fernandes writing on Goan Convention:

   Getting back to the Goan Convention, my excitement was so great that by
the time it came round I was too burnt out to participate.   However,
the Goan communication network the way it is, family, friends and global
guests kept me fully informed and entertained as to what went on, in
fact I felt I could have started by very own blog without ever attending.
The next hot topic I hear presented was mining, our esteemed Goan guests
must have found it interesting that having travelled half way round the
globe to be with us in London they had to hear what was happening in
their own country, of course it appears no-one can present a problem and
a solution better than we can, I mean Powerpoint, Graphics, etc.   One
attendee said he really enjoyed the presentation made by a Brazilian
lady.  Forgive me into thinking but I thought these mines were in Goa! 


Well, the person who presented the issue on mining in Goa , is GOAN , born
and brought up in Goa and a fluent Konkani speaker, who visits
Goa frequently. Yes my name is Carmen Miranda but I am not Brasilian.  The
person who introduced me before I spoke, for some unknown reason mentioned
that I had just returned from a holiday in Brazil,  and that was enough to
create confusion as many people indeed thought I lived in Brazil.

 As the Convention organisers allocated plenty of time to discuss Goa's past
history , I decided to talk about pressing issues of the present, and chose
to speak about mining, because if we don't bring this industry  under firm
control, Goa itself will become history.

Secondly, for your information it is in fact the Goans in Goa who most need
the information I shared at the Convention, (and twice at the Festival on
Sunday)   because most Goans in Goa in fact are not aware of the seriousness
of the devastation going on in their backyards. Yes they know there is
mining and it is causing some inconvenience to villagers in the interior and
believe that is prosperity .Well, if the majority of Goans in Goa were
well informed and aware, they would have by now got rid of the politicians
who are ultimately responsible for allowing the rape of Goa's hinterland as
the consequences of such environmental degradation will seriously affect the
future of many generations to come. That is why I began my talk by
dispelling some myths about the importance of mining to Goa's economy and
employment. Yes the powerpoint had some powerful visual evidence of what I
was talking about , which I believe brought tears to the eyes of many goans
who saw it for the first time and were totally shocked and unaware of extent
of destruction.

I don't know how many thousands of Goans were at the Festival, but all I can
tell you is that Save Goa Campaign UK tent at the Festival was buzzing with
visitors and in one afternoon we got more than a 1000 signatures for our
petition to the Chief Minister of Goa and his Cabinet to take immediate
measures to start phasing out mining.

Mining in Goa is not an issue to joke about. The fact that I was even
allowed to speak on mining at the Convention is a great achievement by the
G.O.A.  who hosted the Convention in London and I thank them  on behalf of
Save Goa Campaign UK for their unconditional support.

Carmen Miranda

Re: [Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention

[Mervyn Lobo]

Carmen Miranda wrote:
Secondly, for your information it is in fact the Goans in Goa who most 
need the information I shared at the Convention, (and twice at the Festival 
on Sunday)   because most Goans in Goa in fact are not aware of the 
seriousness
of the devastation going on in their backyards. Yes they know there is
mining and it is causing some inconvenience to villagers in the interior and
believe that is prosperity .Well, if the majority of Goans in Goa were
well informed and aware, they would have by now got rid of the politicians
who are ultimately responsible for allowing the rape of Goa's hinterland as
the consequences of such environmental degradation will seriously affect the
future of many generations to come. That is why I began my talk by
dispelling some myths about the importance of mining to Goa's economy and
employment. Yes the powerpoint had some powerful visual evidence of what I
was talking about , which I believe brought tears to the eyes of many goans
who saw it for the first time and were totally shocked and unaware of extent
of destruction.
--

Carmen,
This is what Goan Global Conventions should be all about i.e. a platform
to display and discuss current problems and work on issues that effect our 
future.


I am not surprised of your contention that there were attendees at the 
conference 
who had little or no knowledge of the ecological devastation caused by mining 
in Goa. There is similar ignorance with Goans here in Toronto too. Even 
people who go to Goa every winter are not aware of the devastation done to the 
environment as very little is reported by the news media in Goa. 


I congratulate you for making people aware of what is going on their backyards. 
My congrats too on your petition drive. I hope it makes it to the internet 
where 
all those who are concerned with the issue can sign it.


Mervyn Lobo

Re: [Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention

[Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا]

This was the case when the majority of the newspapers in Goa were owned by
mining houses. It is no longer true. FN

PS: Some of the local cable/TV operations are linked to mining majors
though, where their clout has grown.

On 29 July 2011 21:16, Mervyn Lobo mervynal...@yahoo.ca wrote:

 Even
 people who go to Goa every winter are not aware of the devastation done to
 the
 environment as very little is reported by the news media in Goa.

Re: [Goanet] Mining discussed at the Goa Global Convention

[George Pinto]

There should not be any doubt that Goa's media is on the side of the mine 
owners, mega-project builders, politicians - they are linked through business 
dealings, awards and grants for art and entertainment events, sponsorships, 
advertising. No attempt is even made to cover the trail connecting these 
business interests. And of course, it never hurts to put your mouthpiece as the 
editor of a major English newspaper. 

For anyone keeping score in Goa: 
  Miners/mega-project builders/politicians100
  Common man/woman  0
  Net result for Goa -100  

George

--- On Fri, 7/29/11, Frederick FN Noronha wrote:

 This was the case when the majority of the newspapers in Goa were owned
 by mining houses. It is no longer true. FN
 
 PS: Some of the local cable/TV operations are linked to
 mining majors though, where their clout has grown.
 
 On 29 July 2011 21:16, Mervyn Lobo mervynal...@yahoo.ca
 wrote:
 
  Even people who go to Goa every winter are not aware of the
 devastation done to the environment as very little is reported by the
 news media in Goa.

[Goanet] Mining company bends to the demands of Mulgao people

[samir umarye]

-- 
Samir Umarye

BICHOLIM: The people from Mulgao under the banner Mulgao Nagrik Kruti Samiti
today submitted several demands even as the company partly accepted most of
the demands.

It may be stated that today the meeting was called by the deputy collector,
Narayan Gad to talk over the recent incident in which one person from Mulgao
was injured and there was severe loss of property in the village after
mining pit gave way and mine sludge entered the village.

During the meeting the people of Mulgao submitted several demands and the
company only partly accepted the demands. The first demand put forward by
the MNKS was regarding the filling of existing pits and buffer zone to be
maintained. Existing alignment line along 3/4 bottom up to the lake point
should be maintained no further encroachment towards village side should be
done reads the first demand which was accepted by the company.

Besides this it also accepted the demand for construction of a retaining
concrete wall for the a lake till paddy fields in the village and Buffer
Zone for Manas Bagwada.

Eventhough the company accepted this demand it was not in favour of several
other demands put forward by the samiti. Firstly it strongly declined the
demand of giving employment to the locals on the ground that there are
hardly any vacancies in the company. There was uproar at this point and the
villagers strongly demanded employment to the village youths. The company
should make necessary arrangments to accomodate youths in the company and if
required changes should be made Vasant Gad demanded.

But the Sesa Goa managing director Bicholim mines, Krishna Reddy told that
he would have to talk to his higher authorities and disclosed that there are
hardly any vacancies in the company.

The company partly agreed most of the demands and told that these demands
would be further discussed with the villagers in the evening. Some of these
demands include compensation for a period of five years to paddy fields from
Porachopato to Dhaim at Rs 70 per sq mts; Kulagars compensation of Rs 400
per sq mts for each bagaytdar; uncultivated area from Gaonkarwada to
Manasbag of Rs 25 per Sq mts. The demand was also made for compensation for
effected houses in the village and annual compensation of Rs 50,000 per
house.

In the evening when the meeting was held in the village it was told that the
company has asked for time to discuss the demands with the higher
authorities. With regard to the demand of compensation to houses and
employment we are asked to make as survey and they have promised to get back
to us in next few days Mulgao deputy sarpanch, Vishalsen Gad told Herald
we are satisfied with their assurance and most of our demands would be
met.

[Goanet] Mining pit collapse at Mulgao, three injured

[samir umarye]

-- 
Samir Umarye

BICHOLIM: Havoc was created when three of the locals were carried away with
the giant wave of water mixed with the mining silt which came gushing down
at Gaonkarwada Mulgao Bicholim after a soak pit of the Sesa (Vedant) mining
Company situated at the top of the Mulgao village was breached away today at
about 7.15 a.m.

The flow of the water was so powerful that water pulled away three persons
including two on the road and one from the field. However, incessant efforts
on the part of the villagers finally succeeded in rescuing the life of all
three of them even as the danger of repeating such type of incident has not
been over. The muddy water then entered into paddy fields destroying the
Bagayat and paddy worth Rs. 1 crores of about 20 locals. The water also
entered into Xetrapal and Mahadev temple later on and mining silt was also
spread throughout Gaonkarwada area up to the height of 1.5 ft. A giant water
pump of the company was alos carried away in the village along with strong
water currents.

The three persons who were carried away with the water are Sripad Raut,
Rupesh Parab and Rajaram Parab. While, Sripad had gone into fields for
answering nature call other two were standing on the roadside. Sripad who
was carried away up to the distance of about 100 was very fortunate as he
catch hold of a coconut tree and remain entangle up to 2 hours minutes
calling the locals for his rescue. However, when his brother Sakharam saw
him in danger he jumped into water and rescued him. The other two Rupesh and
Rajaram were managed to save their lives by themselves. All three were
hospitalized to PHC Bicholim of which two were discharged while, Sripad Raut
was under observation till late evening. The incident struck was so sudden
that no could have thought of it. Fortunately another major tragedy was
averted as the incident occurred just 4-5 minutes after a kadamba bus
carrying at about 70 school students had just passed away from the same road
where the water came gushing down.

“It is a rebirth for me as I had lost total hopes as I was about to fall
soon after into the water if my brother had not reached within time as I
started losing my strength” wondered Sripad Raut.

It is pertinent to note that major flood occurred in Bicholim in the year
1981 due to Bicholim mines, in the year 1991 four locals were died at
Vhalshim after a bund breached, in the year 2009 villagers suffered a major
loss as mining mud entered into houses at manasbag, in 2010 a mine at tunnel
was created to the mines at Lamgao.

On getting the information Bicholim mamlatdar Pramod Bhat, deputy collector
Narayan Gad, Bicholim PI Harish Madkaikar and fire brigade officials along
with firemen rushed to the spot to help in the rescue operations. They were
also accompanied by Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar, youth leader Naresh Sawal,
Councillor Kamlakar Teli, Bhagwan Harmalkar, Balu Birje, Mulgao sarpanch
Yuga Mayekar, Vishalsen gad, Nilesh gad, Maheshwar parab, Vidhya Parab,
Hemant Gad, Tulshidas parab, Rajaram parab, Vasant Gad and hundreds of
villagers.

Later on panchanama was alos condueted by Bicholim talathi Satyawan naik,
Raoji Chopdekar and Natu Raut according to which villagers including
Pundalik Chodankar, Laxman vazarkar, Shekhar rtaut, Bhikaji raut, Ladu gad,
Rajan gad, Vishnu raut, Suresh raut, Sadashiv raut, Babli Raut, Ankush raut,
Ankush raut, Navso raut, Jairam raut, Sripad raut, Umesh parab, Vsudev
Parab, Kishore Gad and Vishalsen Gad were major sufferers.
“A joint meeting of the villagers and mining company officials is convened
on Monday at about10.30 a.m. to discuss about the losses suffered by
villagers and also about finding out what precautionary measures were taken
by Sesa Goa Company to avert this incident” said Bicholim mamlatdar Pramod
Bhat also adding that Sesa Goa Company is fully responsible to compensate
the farmers.

Sesa Goa Company officials which included managing director Krishna Reddy
and Mandrekar who visited the site three hours after the incident occurred
were taken to the task by the villagers present. “ In future we will not
keep any stone unturned to make such incidents happened even as today’s
incident occurred due to some mistake despite of due precautions were taken
up” said Sesa Goa managing director Krishna Reddy. Meanwhile, villagers have
demanded to keep the mining work shut till future course of action is
decided.

Meanwhile, health minister Vishwajeet Rane who visited the site “it was
necessary to take up due precautions on the part of the company which
otherwise could have averted this incident”.

“This is not a sustainable development, the Company has not taken due
precautions due to which this incident took place” lambasted panch member
Vishalsen Gad. Former Mulgao panch Vasant gad, local Hemant gad, former
sarpanch Tulshidas Parab and leader of the women front and former sarpanch
Vidhya Parab have also expressed concern over the matter.

Meanwhile about 200 villagers from 

[Goanet] Mining in Goa

[Vivian A. DSouza]

Thanks Carmen Miranda for the comments about mining in Goa.  Indeed, we Goans 
are too susegad for our own good.  Mining is taking place mostly in the 
hinterland of Goa.  But slowly it is creeping closer and closer to habitated 
areas, and by the time we wake up, the damage will have been done.
One has to visit some of the areas devastated by mining to realize the horrific 
impact it is having on our environment.  Last month, I was returning by bus 
from 
Belgaum, and was shell shocked to see the main
Highway via Ponda, blocked for several kilometers, with Mining trucks filled 
with ore headed towards the coast and empty Mining trucks headed in the 
opposite 
direction. leaving no room for buses and cars.
There must have been several thousand huge trucks (no exaggeration).
Traffic was at a standstill, and it took us 4 hours instead of a few minutes to 
cover the span that was blocked with mining trucks.
The roads have been devastated.  I pity the people living in those areas.
The mining companies are minting money, and the Government is getting royalties 
from mining, so nobody cares about the poor citizens.
Anyone who dares to voice his protest is set upon by Goondas.

I guess we Goans are inebriated and living in a drunken stupor, not worried 
about our close neighbors.

[Goanet] Mining Goons in Goa

[Arwin Mesquita]

  The brutal attack on Anti-Mining Activist Nilesh Gaonkar by the Mining
 Goons is clear case of frustration and cowardly fear, that their huge
 illegitimate profits from the destruction of Goa are soon to be compromised.
 I strongly feel that these goons have done their dastardly act with the
 directives of their mining godfathers who have the blessings of the
 extremely corrupt and pro-mining Goa Government.  Today the attack is on
 Nilesh, tomorrow it will be an attack on anyone who the Anti-Goans feel is a
 threat to their sources of illegitimate income. Under the garb of Language,
 Religion, Caste etc the unscrupulous politicians have divided Goans, so as
 to continue with their destructive activities. It is high time Goans link up
 across Goa and stand with every Goan who is facing the wrath, threat and
 intimidation of the Anti-Goan Government and their Goons (which includes
 the highly corrupt and compromised Goa Police, who are supposed to be the
 custodians of law and order in the state)

 Arwin Mesquita, UAE


 --
 Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/

 Please also see below:
 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee:
 http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/
 2. Rape of Goa : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/
 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/
 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO:
 http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html
 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook:
 http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686
 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA):
 http://www.globalgoans.org.in/

Re: [Goanet] mining in Goa - the insolence and dare

[rajendra kakodkar]

Dear FN,
 
Yes, Policy makers in Delhi are serious of pleasing their master at 10, Janpath.
They would do little for public good unless forced to.
The increase in export duty from 5% to 20% is not because people wanted it.
It is because steel lobby wanted it to be 30%. They threatened to increase 
steel prices.
Thereby making infrastructure development less viable and making inflation look 
more serious. Rollback will depend on the size of suit case miners can send to 
10 Janpath.
 
Goa's problems on mining front are largely because mines ministry has one 
single 
incubent for far too long 12 years. Digu was put there by Sardinha and miners 
ensured that he was kept there whether Parrikar or Rane was CM. Need new blood, 
new thinking to be introduced in mines ministry.
 
Rajendra
 
On Fri, 4 Mar 2011 Frederick Noronha fredericknoro...@gmail.com wrote:
Carmen and all working on this issue: Congrats for the headway made...
the impact is showing. At the end of the day, different people and
groups will use and advocate diverse approaches. What works is what
matters. FN
PS: Do you think New Delhi will roll back the fact that mining ore
from Goa is now a bit costlier? Will the local lobbies succeed, or is
some policy-maker serious?

[Goanet] mining in Goa - the insolence and dare

[SOTER]

Carmen wrote:Yes Soter , you got the wrong impression as usual! A year 
ago (not a

couple of months ago)  we managed to get a moratorium on new mining leases
in Goa and that is a cause to celebrate. There are already 110 so called
legal mining operations, and if we did not get the moratorium there would
be another 130 extra mines operating in Goa by now! So yes, it is Jai Jairam
Ramesh Ho indeed!

The problem of illegal mining which is another problem altogether, needs to
be resolved  by Goa government and not central government.  When there is a
situation of  a total breakdown of law and order, and when the minister's
themselves and the police  are involved in illegal activities including
mining, than the only solution is revolution.

I hope my message now is quite clear!Soter replies:The message is not yet 
clear Carmen. For those well versed with political gimmicks do not bite 
anything and everything like the gullible Goemkar.A Moratorium on future 
mining leases is taken as great achievement when you yourself admit about a 
breakdown of law and order? So continue raping the hills as far and wide as 
you can get with the 110 existing leases as it is all politically 
stretchable to 130 in a lawless Goa.Attack some insignificant Sheikh Mukthar 
and proclaim success while the other sharks continue their trade. Jai Ram! 
Ram Yesh! 

[Goanet] mining in Goa - the insolence and dare

[Carmen Miranda]

Soter!! Your resistance to understand the struggle against mining in Goa is
astonishing!

It would be really nice if you had taken the trouble to find out a little
bit more about what we are trying to do regarding the mining issue ,
before you make the wrong assumptions and try to make me look like a fool in
this platform.

You are lucky that I believe in creating awareness about this crucial issue
in Goa.

Therefore let me point out to you that just because we managed to get the
moratorium for the new mining leases, which by itself was indeed crucial and
an achievement,
it does not mean we are not fighting the established and so called legal
mines and illegal mines in Goa - on the contrary ! We are indeed trying
extremely hard
to close down the entire mining industry in Goa, but that cannot be done
overnight. Any idiot would understand that!

In any case, it is not a question of understanding politics, but a question
of taking into consideration the few thousand people who are employed by
this
industry at the moment. You have to be realistic, find alternatives,
think strategically and work on it in every way possible. We are after all
fighting very powerful
 and rootless people who have the entire government under their control. For
every practical purpose they are the government! That has not stopped me and
others
from fighting them and confronting them. At the end of the day I may not
achieve much, but no one can say I have not tried.

Furthermore, if you knew the real significance of fighting and winning
against the insignificant Sheikh Mukthar (according to you)  you would be
now busy congratulating
the Adivasis from Caurem instead of wasting your time picking on me.

Let me make it very clear that first of all there is no such thing as
insignificant legal or illegal miner. The damage they cause is always
significant and often irreversible.

You might be well versed in local politics, but I and everyone else I
am working with in Goa are not spring chickens and naive ignorant idiots .
We are realistic and are
working on this issue  systematically in every way we possibly can and
relentlessly. Politics are not above everything in this world, and
especially not above
Goa's environment. I will continue to fight for it despite all the local
politics which is in practice just corruption, not real politics.

Moreover, the breakdown of law and order in Goa has nothing to do with the
fact that we got the moratorium, which is something we can use to try and
stop
new mines from starting by taking them to Supreme Court if necessary. I know
that for the likes of Timblo even  the Supreme Court means nothing...but we
can try.
Bottom line is we have to be vigilant all the time and fight the existing
system and status quo and the moratorium is  a good barrier albeit temporary
as is the direct action taken by the affected people form Caurem. A
tremendous example of people power against the government corruption and
incompetence.

Of course the ultimate and ideal solution is revolution, but meanwhile

Jai Ram! Ram Yes! INDEED!




essage: 2
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 17:21:16 +0530
From: SOTER so...@bsnl.in
To: goa...@goanet.org
Subject: [Goanet]  mining in Goa - the insolence and dare
Message-ID: 000901cbd999$527368f0$1901a8c0@user77948b9580
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
   reply-type=original

Carmen wrote:Yes Soter , you got the wrong impression as usual! A year
ago (not a
couple of months ago)  we managed to get a moratorium on new mining leases
in Goa and that is a cause to celebrate. There are already 110 so called
 legal mining operations, and if we did not get the moratorium there would
be another 130 extra mines operating in Goa by now! So yes, it is Jai Jairam
Ramesh Ho indeed!

The problem of illegal mining which is another problem altogether, needs to
be resolved  by Goa government and not central government.  When there is a
situation of  a total breakdown of law and order, and when the minister's
themselves and the police  are involved in illegal activities including
mining, than the only solution is revolution.

I hope my message now is quite clear!Soter replies:The message is not yet
clear Carmen. For those well versed with political gimmicks do not bite
anything and everything like the gullible Goemkar.A Moratorium on future
mining leases is taken as great achievement when you yourself admit about a
breakdown of law and order? So continue raping the hills as far and wide as
you can get with the 110 existing leases as it is all politically
stretchable to 130 in a lawless Goa.Attack some insignificant Sheikh Mukthar
and proclaim success while the other sharks continue their trade. Jai Ram!
Ram Yesh!



--

Re: [Goanet] mining in Goa - the insolence and dare

[Frederick Noronha]

Carmen and all working on this issue: Congrats for the headway made...
the impact is showing. At the end of the day, different people and
groups will use and advocate diverse approaches. What works is what
matters. FN

PS: Do you think New Delhi will roll back the fact that mining ore
from Goa is now a bit costlier? Will the local lobbies succeed, or is
some policy-maker serious?

Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490

[Goanet] mining in Goa - the insolence and dare

[Carmen Miranda]

Yes Soter , you got the wrong impression as usual! A year ago (not a
couple of months ago)  we managed to get a moratorium on new mining leases
in Goa and that is a cause to celebrate. There are already 110 so called
 legal mining operations, and if we did not get the moratorium there would
be another 130 extra mines operating in Goa by now! So yes, it is Jai Jairam
Ramesh Ho indeed!

The problem of illegal mining which is another problem altogether, needs to
be resolved  by Goa government and not central government.  When there is a
situation of  a total breakdown of law and order, and when the minister's
themselves and the police  are involved in illegal activities including
mining, than the only solution is revolution.

I hope my message now is quite clear!

Carmen

[Goanet] mining in Goa - the insolence and dare

[Carmen Miranda]

This is a scandal and an outrage! The information below,  was sent to me by
two of my activist friends in Goa A. Prabhudesai and  T. Jorge,  and I would
like to share it with everyone in goanet, as I am  in search of urgent help
and advise .

The text below illustrates the increasing insolence and dare by the mine
owners in Goa who act illegally not only with impunity but also with police
protection.
If I was in Goa I would immediately go and confront the Police Chief in
Quepem to start with,  and file a complaint against their behaviour at the
appropriate authorities, given that it is not the first time that they side
with the criminals (miners) in that area of Goa.

Can someone in Goa please help, and kindly suggest what can be done to bring
some law and order and compliance with High Court orders by the miners and
the police in Goa?

Carmen Miranda

Date: Monday, 28 February, 2011, 3:14 PM

 Caurem, Quepem- Goa
 28 February 2011

 In a bizarre turn of events for the villagers of Caurem,
 Quepem taluka, an illegal mine at Devapan Dongor (Devapan
 literally means God's Sacred Grove) was restarted today
 under police protection, much to the shock of the residents
 of this predominantly tribal village.

 The Xec Salim mine has been operating in the heart of
 Caurem for three years, in total violation of various
 conditions imposed by the clearances issued by various
 authorities. Some villagers and Goa Foundation had
 petitioned the Hon'ble High Court before the commencement of
 the mine stating that the mine cannot be permitted since the
 data used to obtain the permissions was fraudulent, but the
 case is dragging for three years now. Other frustrated
 villagers started studying the legal documents and
 discovered in September 2010 that the mine had been
 operating without Consent to Operate under the Air Act since
 1st January 2010. In the meanwhile, the Panjim Bench of the
 Hon'ble Bombay High Court had passed Orders on 20th
 September 2010 indicating that the Court was under the
 impression that the mine is not operational since January
 2010, while large scale illegal extraction of ore from the
 sacred hill was carried out for most of the period! Only
 after tireless correspondence by the villagers giving evidence
 of massive violation of conditions and laws, the mine was
 forced to close down in November 2010. The mine has already
 caused serious destruction of the water resources of this
 village and endangered the very existence of Karka River, a
 tributary of the Kushawati River. The tribal and other
 villagers have been complaining to all authorities about the
 loss of their Forest Rights, rise in respiratory diseases,
 destruction of their cultivated lands and forests, reduction
 in water flow of their springs and the desecration of their
 sacred grove, but to no avail.


 Four villagers, Nilesh Gaonkar, Tulsidas Velip, Chandrakant
 Devidas and Satyavan Velip were summoned today morning to
 the Quepem Police Station for enquiry related to Section 149
 of the CrPC, which threatens to take away the Freedom of
 these villagers to defend their Rights. The summons were
 responded to by 80 villagers, including many women, agitated
 by the fact that conscientious, upright neighbours were
 being summoned to the police station. The shock and
 indignation of the villagers turned to disbelief and a sense
 of betrayal on learning that the mining company had
 restarted their mining activities under police protection,
 while they were at the police station.

Re: [Goanet] mining in Goa - the insolence and dare

[SOTER]

Carmen writes:
The text below illustrates the increasing insolence and dare by the mine
owners in Goa who act illegally not only with impunity but also with police
protection.

Comment:
Are re re!
Is there still a mining problem in Goa?
A couple of months ago, if I correctly remember, anti-mining stalwarts were 
celebrating success.

It was 'Jai (Ram Ramesh) Ho!'
It gave one the impression that the miners were supposed to pack up and jump 
in Mandovi.

Chaka Chak?
Did I get the wrong impression?

-Soter

[Goanet] Mining starts at Old Goa: West Goans will soon feel the nuisance of Mining.

[rajendra kakodkar]

So far the Mining has been a nuisance only for East Goans, and the so called 
concerned activists in the west Goa were not at all bothered about the 
pollution (dust and noise) and traffic hazards suffered by East Goans. The 
Oscar led Regional Plan Bachao Abhiyan had only one agenda RP and no other 
issue for Goa and the name GBA was a misnomer. 
But this news about digu-ing in Old Goa is a precursor, to things to come. The 
day is not far when West Goans will also be inhaling dust and dying under truck 
wheels.
Read: 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mining-activity-4km-from-Old-Goa/articleshow/7518510.cms
Rajendra

[Goanet] Mining truck knocks down two-wheeler (ToI)

[rajendra kakodkar]

 

MARGAO: Tension prevailed in Kavrem on Friday evening with villagers blocking 
roads after a mining truck knocked down a two-wheeler. The motorcycle rider, 
Chandrakant Devidas, sustained injuries in the accident that occurred at around 
3.30pm. 

Incensed villagers then resorted to a rasta roko and blocked the movement of 
mining trucks, protesting against the failure of authorities to regulate mining 
traffic. 

Deputy collector, Quepem, Agnelo Fernandes rushed to the site to take stock of 
the situation. The road blockade continued till late evening. 

Read more: Mining truck knocks down two-wheeler - The Times of India 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mining-truck-knocks-down-two-wheeler/articleshow/7288464.cms#ixzz1B5XlRfHr

[Goanet] Mining for gold.

[eric pinto]

---
 http://www.GOANET.org 
---

   Goa Sudharop Annual Awards
January 5, 2011 - 3:45 - 6:30pm
   Hotel Mandovi, Panaji, Goa

  Details at: http://bit.ly/GoaSudharop2011

---

  It takes cyanide to leach it out of rock, and several areas in the world have 
known mishaps that polluted large bodies of fresh water: Romania and Guyana, to 
name two.
  I am happy for Goa, let us hope the bonanza remains there, over a bank vault 
in Zurich, instead.  eric.
---

Gregory Pecks and Omar Sheriffs of Goa, India and probably World may be getting 
ready for a new film NANDKUMAR’S GOLD. 

Are there Apache-type spirits in Goa?
Rajendra 


  
---

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---

[Goanet] Mining 'threat' in Sarvan

[samir umarye]

-- 
Samir Umarye

SARVAN: Situated three kilometres from Bicholim town, Sarvan is known all
over Goa for the pleasing fragrance ofthe surangache valesar, a garland made
from the wild flowers of Ochrocarpus longifolius. These flowers, however,
could become history, say environmentalists, as allegedly illegal mining
activities have started in the village.

On Wednesday, Ramesh S Gauns, an environmental activist from
Pajwada-Bicholim, filed a complaint with the directorate of mines and
geology, urging officials to inspect and stop the alleged illegal mining
activities under way in the village.

Sources told TOI that two mining leases exist in Sarvan close to the state
highway passing from Bicholim to Sanquelim. While one has a lease area of
78.46ha, the other's lease area is 99.9756 ha. Both were manually operated
in the past and have been shut for over a quarter of a century.

At present, however, excavators and bulldozers are seen at the site of the
allegedly illegal mining activity.

Gauns said, Inquiries in the village revealed that the mining activities
have been on for over a month. Hundreds of trucks carrying excavated iron
ore are seen travelling, especially at night and between Fridays and
Sundays.

Close to the illegal mining activities, incidentally, is a perennial water
tank and a horticultural plantation which will be severely threatened if
mining activities continue.

When contacted, director of mines and geology, Arvind Loliyekar, said, We
have received complaints about illegal mining operations at Sarvan. We have
already taken note of the same.

Hector Fernandes, a senior geologist at the directorate, added, Directives
have been given to the officials concerned to inspect the site of the
allegedly illegal mining operation. Necessary action will be taken only
after an inspection report is filed. (ToI)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mining-threat-in-Sarvan/articleshow/7073514.cms#ixzz17isdeStk

[Goanet] Mining blow to Western Ghats

[Marshall Mendonza]

As if causing environmental destruction in Goa is not bad enough, the mining
lobby is now eyeing the lovely and picturesque Sindhudurg region bordering
Goa on the north viz. Sawantwadi and Dodamarg. 49 mining leases have been
issued.

Regards,

Marshall

  SAWANTWADI-DODAMARG (MAHARASHTRA): The beauty of the Western
Ghatshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Western
Ghats,
one of the last few remaining densely forested areas in the country, may
soon be relegated to the realm of the picture postcard. In what could bring
forth one of the worst ecological disasters in years, the state government
has approved 49 mining leases for excavating iron and bauxite ores in the
eco-fragile Sindhudurg
regionhttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Sindhudurg
region.


Sindhudurg, incidentally, has the highest green cover in Maharashtra (49%)
and was declared the first eco-tourism district in the country in 1997.

Worse, 32 of these mining permits have been given in the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg
zone, which has the highest forest cover within Sindhudurg, and is an
integral part of the wildlife corridor between Koyna sanctuary in Satara,
Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary in Kolhapur district and the Anshi-Dandeli
tiger reserve in Karnataka.

The biodiverse region, with perennial streams and rivers, is home to a
spectrum of wildlife, such as the leopard, bison and deer. Forest officials
say there have been at least four tiger sightings as well in the past two
years.

Four mines are already operational in the area. On Wednesday, TOI visited
one, which began work last year, in Kalane village in Sawantwadi block. The
sharp colour contrast at the site said it all: a long red strip of a
half-slit mountain jutted out like an ugly sore amid the lush green canopy
around it. Huge earth movers dug deep into the mountain and gouged out red
mud, which was transported by a trail of dumpers to processing units.

Stalin D, project director of Vanashakti, an environmental NGO working on
mining-related issues in Sindhudurg, explains that the mining companies use
open-cast processing to excavate iron ore and bauxite. The mountains have
to be slit open and dug up to extract minerals lying deep beneath the soil,
he says. What remains are huge craters filled with unpotable water full of
heavy metals. The miners never bother to refill the hole or replant native
vegetation to regenerate the eco-system.

Before operations began here, the villagers of Kalane had passed a gram
sabha resolution stating that they did not want mining, as it would destroy
both the rich flora and fauna and their agricultural farmlands. The
villagers in Kalane objected at the two public hearings, as the
environmental impact assessment (EIA) report prepared by the mining firm did
not mention the existence of perennial water bodies, rivers and the reserve
forest in the adjoining Ugade village, says Sawantwadi-based environmental
activist Dr Rajendra Parulekar. It is shocking that based on the
false EIAhttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=EIAreports,
mining companies got licences to operate here. Activists say that
there were physical skirmishes between the mining companies and villagers,
and that the latter were threatened.

Wildlife experts and botanists say that if other mining companies start
operations at the proposed sites, the mountains will become huge craters in
just a few years from now. Just look at how miners have destroyed stretches
of Goa along the Sahyadri, where instead of green mountains we have ugly
open craters now. The government should revoke all these licences if it
wants to protect its rich natural resources, and instead encourage
eco-friendly business models, says Goa-based environmental activist Claude
Alvares http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Claude Alvares,
who has been advocating zero mining in all eco-fragile zones in the country.


Interestingly, Alvares believes that mining companies are increasingly
eyeing Maharashtra ever since the ministry of environment and forests
imposed a moratorium on issuing fresh mining leases in Goa till its
government came out with a comprehensive mineral policy. It is a well-known
fact that the mining mafia is controlled by politicians from both states, as
the money involved is huge, he says.

According to Parulekar, there is an estimated Rs 25,000 crore of mineral
wealth in Sindhudurg. Lured by this, if mining continues unabated, it will
have tragic human consequences as well, he says. Devoid of rivers and
agricultural land, farmers will have no option but to leave their once
fertile and self-sufficient villages. The result will be urban migration and
ensuing poverty and misery.

Read more: Mining blow to Western Ghats - The Times of
Indiahttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/Mining-blow-to-Western-Ghats/articleshow/6750758.cms#ixzz12c8gRYAK

[Goanet] Mining... making news elsewhere too

[Frederick Noronha]

-- Forwarded message --
From:  milap_chora...@yahoo.com
Date: 21 July 2010 17:59

Times of India:-
'BJP MP behind whistleblower's murder'
AGENCIES, Jul 21, 2010, 01.07pm IST

AHMEDABAD: A day after RTI activist Amit Jethwa was shot dead outside
the Gujarat High Court in Ahmedabad after filing a recent PIL against
illegal mining, the family of Amit Jethwa alleged that a BJP MP was
behind his murder.
Jethwa's family on Wednesday alleged foul play saying that BJP MP from
Junagadh -- Dinu Solanki was behind the murder.

Bhiku Jethwa, Amit's father s id, I strongly suspect that Dinu
Solanki is behind my son's murder. Because he has  threatened me on
telephone. He also threatened Amit many times. Amit was threatened in
Kodinar and Khamba towns in
front of large crowds, a thousand strong. But nobody dared to report
the matter.

Amit Jethwa was killed by 2 unidentified assailants on a motorcycle as
he was coming out of the court. Police say the assailants ran away
from the spot after shooting Jethwa.

He had recently filed a PIL in the Gujarat High Court against illegal
mining in Gir forest. Following his PIL, the authorities had cracked
down on the illegal mining activities in Gir forest and other areas on
the Saurashtra coast.
* * *

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journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... 
gripping and well-told real-life stories. See 
http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, 
Panjim. Ph 9822488564.

* * * 

[Goanet] Mining silt renders Pale fields uncultivable

[samir umarye]

-- 
Samir Umarye


BICHOLIM, JULY 19:
Several fields in Ambeshi and Devulwada, Pale, were rendered
uncultivable due to the mining silt in the area.
According to sources, the silt which was on the roads has entered into
the fields, thereby damaging crops.
Speaking to Herald, Devanand Gawas of Devulwada Pale said there are
several companies which are operating in the area and some are
illegal. “Through RTI Act on July 4, 2010 we have been informed that a
mining company which is in operation in the village is not given any
permission and is totally illegal,” added Gawas.
“Due to these mining activities, our fields have been rendered
uncultivable and the authorities should look into this,” said Gawas.
In Ambeshi, several fields have been damaged as the silt has flown
down during the rain. The villagers have demanded compensation for the
loss of crops.

[Goanet] Mining concerns.

[eric pinto]

From a blog-spot.

It is not the only human rights issue largely because there is large number of 
government agencies – central as well as state agencies involved in the 
perpetuation of mining industry in Goa in the manner it is proceeding 
currently. 

Our intellectuals in the centers of higher learning are yet to apply their 
minds to this aspect. They are yet calculate what is the cost of ore that we 
exported over the past 60 years, to which countries, which companies exported 
how much, how much companies profited, how much foreign exchange Indian 
government earned? How much Goa government earned as revenue since its 
liberation? How much colonial Portuguese colonial government benefited from 
mining industry so as to continue retaining Goa as its colony till 1961? What 
was role of mining companies in colonial state? What is the role of mining 
companies in governance of the state of Goa since 1961 till date?
It is not the only Human Rights issue also because almost every major aspect of 
Goa’s life influenced by mining industry. We hardly have proper audit done in 
this regard. We only have propaganda of the mining companies that reinforces 
hegemonic dominance of mining industry over Goa. As a result our minds are 
constantly filled with negative entropy. Our intellectuals in the centres of 
learning instead of countering this have involved in furthering this 
proliferation of confusion to the infinity. One of them  has been circulating 
extracts of mining companies welfare work besides flamboyantsarcasm in prose as 
well as poetry full of innuendos on people involved in resisting mining 
industry (without naming them) as well as praises to politician from mining 
company. 
Another one Dr. A.G.Chachadi from department of Earth Sciences, Goa University 
in his reply to PIL at Bombay High Court at Panaji has heaped nasty sarcasm on 
people of Sirgao who has been active in their struggle for survival from mining 
industry. He carried on number of studies for mining industries and details 
were furnished by Goa University in reply to RTI. 
Third one Dr. Untawale , former director of National Institute of Oceanography, 
Dona Paula publicly scolded Villager from Pissurlem who demanded that mining 
companies supply water to their paddy fields. This was on 1st April 2001 at Old 
Goa Panchayat Hall, Tiswadi. Later on he went to sign the report that in 
Panchwadi there are no mangroves even though it is densely mangrove populated. 
He did this in order to back up Sesa Goa’s plans to build exclusive road for 
mining through Panchwadi.
 This way scientist has been playing the role of traitors to the people of Goa 
recently. So mining hardships are faced by people of Goa are not only Human 
Rights issue it is more importantly issue of unethical practices by 
Intellectuals that includes scientists such as the above named.
.


 
On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 11:14 AM, Mand Goa mand...@gmail.com wrote:

http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2010/06/is-demand-for-state-human-rights.html 



 

[Goanet] Mining in Goa -- effects on people's human rights

[Aloysius D'Souza]

Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:17:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Gomes johnericgo...@yahoo.com
To: Goanet Org goa...@goanet.org
*Subject: [Goanet] Human Rights and Mining*

*

*Nandkumar Kamat wanted to know if Human Rights could be used against
mining?for people displacement and other endemic problems.There are too many
NGOs piecemeal doing the same thing and? consultation/coordination between
them?will bring better results. A Laser cuts better than ordinary light! I
spoke to the Director of Human Rights Law Network? IN GOA regarding?this
and?I understand there are already Human Rights cases in progress.?Please
contact KRISHNENDU 9921875200?. They have an office above Goan Observer
office in Kampal,Panaji. Hope this info helps..JEG

[Goanet] Mining discourse dominates Goa Revolution Day commemoration

[sebastian Rodrigues]

Goa
Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) organized a special
program to mark commemoration of Goa Revolution Day that is known
defiance of Portuguese colonial rule by late Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia in
1946. The program was held in quite evening in tribal hamlet of
Bendordem, Balli in Quepem taluka in South Goa.



Program started off
with welcome gesture by local member of Panchayat Bikhudas Velip. Few
people spoke their views from heart at this meeting attended by many
including local school children. Advocate John Fernandes was the first
one speak after Sebastian Rodrigues had just finished introducing theme
of the day and the historical significance of Goa Revolution Day.



Advocate John Fernandes
was in his usual free flow with revolutionary fervor and spoke at quite
a length setting the tone for the rest of the program. He observed that
in current Goa there is freedom for three categories of people: mine
owners, politicians and rulers. The common people are still oppressed.
Hence there is a need for another revolution. Advocate Fernandes
referred to the historical writings of Dr.T.B.Cunha that proves mining
companies support to Portugal colonial rule in Goa. He said that it was
mining companies that was responsible for the delay in getting
Portuguese out of Goa. Mining companies are not concerned about common
people. Biggest danger to Goa currently is from mining companies. In
nearby Cavrem and Maina life of people is in constant danger. Its
mountain – devapan dongor - has two mines operating on top of it –
Sheikh Salim, and Magnum.



State government in
collusion with mining companies has a plan to evict tribal people and
take away their land for mining. There are also long term plans to make
bypass road to transport ore to Betul for loading into vessels in
Arabian Sea. Direct effect of every mine is felt to the distance of 8
kilometers in radius. 



The need of the time
currently is to support Cavrem villagers today and launch another
revolution today against mining plunder of Goa. Don’t trust Digambar
Kamat, the Chief Minister of Goa. He is a number one mining agent. He
is responsible for Goa’s mining loot. Be alert and keep mining away.



Goa government is not
implementing Forest Rights Act 2006 in Goa. This is so because mining
leases are in tribal lands. This law is not implemented in Goa to
favour mining companies.



Agricultural Tenancy
Act implementation also suffers as survey under this law never took
place in Goa. Cases in courts drag for 10-15 years. Landlords
deliberately file cases on cultivators. Government not bothered about
common people. It is concerned only about rich people. SC/ST people are not 
yet liberated. Land acquisition for various projects are of common people. 
Schedule
Tribe Act is not implemented and tribal areas are not notified. There
is urgent need to thoroughly examine if the fruits of liberation has
reached the common people in Goa. There is an urgent need for strong 
revolutionary movement in Goa. Revolutionary way is the only way ahead. 
Anthony D’silva from Ambelim, Salcete said that mining is making large number 
of people in Goa medically sick. It is causing urinary problems, kidney 
problems as Goa’s
water dams are polluted due to mining silt and government simply
supplies this water to the consumers. Its treatment creates more
problems than purification. He said it is important to become aware in
advance and take precautionary action against mining industry. Abhijit
Prabhudesai from Goenchea Xetkarancho Ekvott expressed dismay against
mining industry. He pointed out that Sirgao village in Bicholim is
destroyed due to mining. He called upon the villagers to unite and
protect villages for future generations and not to let the mining
companies to swallow up lands. He pointed out that currently world is
facing food and water crisis and it is only going to aggravate in near
future is mining industry continues its wrath. Government policy of
distributing rice cheap at Rs.3/- per kilogram is meant to motivate
farmers to give up cultivation. Xavier
Fernandes from Colamb, Sanguem in his fiery speech said that land is
mother – matrubhoomi. Mining companies are defiling it continuously. He
said that mining companies if they continue the way they are going
about then they will finish the entire ecology. It is important to work
physically and not to accept money offered by mining companies. People
must unite to fight the State in Goa.
Badruddin Mavany’s mine in Cavrem releases large quantity of lime
inside the mining pits. This in turn pollutes ground water as visible
from the Saptu Faterpekar’s home well in the close neighborhood.  Pandits and 
Brahmis are hegemonising the  state in Goa. He called upon youth to come 
forward and join the struggle. Mining has destroyed the agriculture in Goa that 
used to be the backbone of people’s economy. Mechanized mining is very 
dangerous. Temples
constructed by mining companies are only to divert 

[Goanet] Mining Peril of Goa

[pinheiro]

Respected Madam and Sir,

Goa is rich in mineral such as iron Ore manganese and bauxite and mining 
is important source for our economy.  It is recognised that minerals and 
metals are the mainstay of the economic development and welfare of the 
society. However, their exploration, excavation and mineral processing 
directly affect the other natural resources like land, water, air, flora 
and fauna, which must be conserved and optimally utilized in a 
sustainable manner. Hence systematic and scientific exploitation of 
minerals, compatible with environment is essential for survival of our 
future generation.


As per Goa Forest Dept, Goa has about 1424 Sq Km of forest area out of 
which 1095 Sq Km is suppose to be Reserve forest. That leaves 329 Sq Km 
as unreserved forest area.  Unconfirmed source says (but satellite data 
confirms) that mining is carried at more than 150 mines (legal and 
illegal) on 785 Sq Km of area as against 329 Sq Km.  36% percent of 
forest cover is vanished due to unplanned mining activities. Besides, an 
average about 2.5 to 3 tones of mining waste has to be excavated so as 
to produce a tone of iron ore in the process annually 40 to 50 million 
of mining waste is generated. Goa has the highest mining density in the 
world (about 17% of Geographical area is under mining).


The environmental problems associated with the iron ore mining are 
diverse. The removal of vegetation, top soil, waste and ore, brings 
about the inevitable natural consequences, which manifest in many ways, 
deforestation, climatic change, erosion, air and water pollution and 
health hazards.  The most noticeably caused substantial impact on the 
ecosystem like degradation of land, deforestation, displacement of 
wildlife, effect on aquatic eco-system, loss of habitat, biodiversity, 
rare flora  fauna, other aquatic life, migration of wildlife and 
overall disruption of the ecology of the area. Mining activities changes 
in ground water flow patterns, lowering of water table, changes in 
hydrodynamic conditions of rivers and underground recharge basins, 
reduction in volumes of subsurface discharge to water bodies and rivers, 
disruption and diversion of water drainage pattern, contamination of 
water bodies, affecting over and under ground water bodies.


Respiratory infections due to an excess of dust were identified by the 
Fernandes Committee in its report to Government of Goa as early as 1994 
but the recommendation are not implemented.  Accidental spillages of oil 
by the barges during ore transportation are another source for water 
pollution is seldom reported in Goa. In addition to the problem of 
siltation, there is another more real fear that of mine related 
accidents. Some years ago collapse of the   mine benches had led to a 
flood of water which caused the death of 5 persons. Detailed studies of 
the impact of mining on the river or marine ecology have not been 
carried out in Goa to date and in the absence of proper data extent of 
the damage caused will never come to light. A study conducted by TERI 
reported that the most affected rivers in the region are near Bicholim, 
Curchorem, and Khanderpar. The prominent nullahs affected are Cudnem, 
Sonshi and Advoi in North Goa. The houses surrounded by mine dumps, most 
agricultural fields and cashew plantations are destroyed and dust 
pollution caused by the continuous movement of trucks and the proximity 
of dumps has made the lives in some villages an ordeal.


The concern for environmental issues is well reflected in the National 
Mineral Policy 1993 as reproduced below:
“The New National Mineral Policy 1993 prohibits mining operations in 
identified ecologically rich areas and strip mining in forest areas 
should as far as possible be avoided. The latter could be permitted only 
when accompanied by a comprehensive time bound reclamation programme. It 
states further that no mining lease would be granted to any party, 
private or public, without a proper mining plan including the 
environmental management plan approved and enforced by statutory 
authorities. The environmental management plan should have adequate 
measures for minimizing the environmental damage, restoration of mined 
areas and for planning of trees in accordance with the prescribed norms. 
As far as possible, reclamation and afforestation will proceed 
concurrently with mineral extraction. Efforts should also be made to 
convert old mining sites into forests and other forms of land use.”


By proper reclamation of mined out areas and rehabilitation of waste 
dumps through massive afforestation with local saplings, the ecological 
impacts can be minimised.  Sadly, Goa neither has effective planning nor 
monitoring mechanism. Goa Government is too busy to find time for any of 
these issues but save the THRONE.


Save Goa today for tomorrow!

Agnelo Pinheiro
Raia/Dubai

[Goanet] Mining awareness tours... in the Goan hinterland

[Goanet News]

The GoaMAP (Goa Mining Affected People) and GXE (Goenche Xettkaranche
Ekvott) along with other concerned citizens and youth will conduct the
 5th free bus tour along Goa's  Mining Belt in the hinterland of
Goa. This is approximately a 100 Km tour.

Just seeing is believing!  In the name of development, hills, forests
are wiped away and water aquifers charging the ground water tables
destroyed.

So far, four tours have been conducted on Sundays only, as there is no
movement of mining trucks. Otherwise it would be chaos during the
week.

1st tour  on 18th April with several journalists on board.  Joaquim
Fernandes (Times of India) who took this tour wrote an article.
http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/5951450.cms

2nd tour on 2nd May with concerned citizens.

3rd tour on 9th May with a group of Dhempe College 2nd Year Geology
Students, one journalist and some concerned citizens

4th tour on 16th May with youth from in and around Margao.

The FIFTH tour on Sunday - 23rd  May 2010 leaves from Panjim  KTC
bus-stand at 7:30am and returns to the same point by 6pm latest.

Please carry some drinking water and some food/snacks.

If you or your family/friends would like to join the tour, please let
me know, so that I can give co-ordinators your names.

All the above trips have been sponsored by concerned citizens of Goa,
which will be announced in the bus.

Please also spread the word of this Picnic with a Difference.

Thanks

SMS or call 9850871608 (Lisa)
SMS or call 9766453080 (Andrea)
SMS or call 9421280798 / 9850116114 (Terence)

or email

terencejorg...@gmail.com
ndrea_pere...@yahoo.co.in

* * *

A COMMENT FROM AMITA KANEKAR: These are pictures of a ‘Mining Tour’ in
Goa (May 9, 2010) organised by environment and anti-mining activists
like Hartman de Souza, Rama Velip, and others.

The tour (by bus and foot) started in Margao, moved through the
talukas of Quepem and Sanguem in south Goa where mining has just begun
in the last three to four years, and then northwards along the ‘mining
corridor’ of Usgaon and Sanquelim to the oldest areas of Bicholim --
with its 14km long mining range -- right up to the village of Sirigao
in Bicholim and the 40-year-old mine of the Chowgules.

All along we were shown the dead landscape of dusty roads, mud-heap
hills, eviscerated springs and poisoned streams, all the more shocking
for the bright green slopes and sparkling streams just a few metres
away -- awaiting their doom! All along were also the bright signboards
of those responsible: Dhempes, Salgaonkar, Chowgule, Alemao, Vedanta,
etc, etc.

Much of Goa remains lush and green even in the height of summer
because of the hundreds of springs originating in the western ghats
and flowing through the year, except in the mining regions.

Sirigao, the home of a goddess, Lairai, apparently traditionally
worshipped as a pot of water, is a good example of the havoc wreaked
on this luxuriant ecosystem. All the streams in the village -- and
there were once many -- have dried up and the village is now dependent
on water supplied through mining tankers.

The huge mining pit explains why, for as you stare down the stripped,
cut and blasted faces of the hills to the lake at the bottom --
apparently 27 m. below sea level -- you can see amidst the variegated
hues of raw rock, many thin little trickles of water draining out into
the lake below.

These are the last remnants of the ancient aquifer inside the hills of
Sirigao, blasted open by the miners and left to empty itself into the
pit, from which three pumps work around the clock to pump this ‘waste’
up and out of the pit and onto the hillside where it runs away into
nothing. While the village remains thirsty...

(These tours are going to be held every Sunday through the next few
months, to make people aware of the catastrophic situation. All are
welcome to join!)

See photos at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235305id=612188205ref=mf
Login needed, via Facebook.

[Goanet] Mining awareness tours... in the Goan hinterland

[soter]

This is a really very positive step taken by GoaMAP. Seeing is believing. 
People living in towns and on the periphery are often ignorant about what goes 
on in the hinterland. That is why we get comments like, Development is 
needed, someone has to sacrifice and so on.  The Government tours will show 
the glowing side of the story. The horror aspect in the story will be 
concealed. Being forced to inhale dust day and night to choke the lungs is even 
worse than the 26/11 terrorist strike in Mumbai. The only difference that death 
in the Mumbai attack was instant but here it is slow torture and ultimately 
death. Who beneifts? Goa's rich paupers.
Keep it up GoaMAP!

-Soter

[Goanet] Mining, Forest stories in today's Hindustan Times

[sebastian Rodrigues]

Hello! 

Below are links to mining and Forest related news, 
interview in today's Hindustan Times. Goa figures in all of them!

1.
 Interview with India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/india/We-need-to-mine-it-cannot-come-to-a-halt-Ramesh/Article1-544119.aspx


2. Interview with India's Mines Minister Bijoy Krishna Handique

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/india/Mining-companies-can-t-get-everything-for-free-Handique/Article1-544123.aspx


3. Joint report based on HT correspondents inputs on India's mining 
'Mine are Yours'

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=16_05_2010_014_002mode=1

Warmly,
Seby
  
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[Goanet] Mining companies stage coup, mines Netravali Wildlife sanctuary buffer zone

[sebastian Rodrigues]

Mining companies has staged comprehensive coup in Goa. The most glaring 
example of this fact is supplied through the past two days of relentless
 ore transportation going on in zero kilometer buffer zone of the 
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhati village of Sanguem taluka in the 
survey numbers 11/0 and 24/0.

The department of Mines and Geology
 actually carried on the raid on this site and even sealed the machinery
 on April 16, 2010. The transportation of ore then had stopped. However 
after a fortnight things have changed. Transportation of ore resumed on 
May 03, 2010 with around 20 trucks plying on the site. This continued in
 a major part of the day on May 04, 2010 till young man Martin Fernandes
 who was to get married four days later was crushed to death under 
mining ore truck in Sanguem and public then closed all the roads for 
mining trucks. The roads are still closed for mining trucks today.

On
 May 04, 2010 Dilip Hegde, President of Goenchea Xetkaracho Ekvott (GXE)
 and myself - Sebastian Rodrigues, Convenor of Goa Federation of Mines 
Affected People (GOAMAP) met up with Mr. Lolienkar, Director of Mines 
and Geology, in its Panjim office brought this issue to his notice. He 
was abrasive this time. He declared that mining transportation of ore is
 legal as Department is receiving royalty from the Chowgule Mining 
company.

When he was asked as to why it premises was raided on 
April 16, 2010 director had no satisfactory answer to offer. Obviously 
there is something very fishy in the whole episode and it needs some 
deeper probe.

But one thing that stand clear is that lot of brief
 cases has exchanged hands for something as brazen as this to take place
 over the past few weeks. Its time we visualize scenarios to free the 
state of Goa from the state of emergency imposed by mining companies. 
This can only be done by imposing state of emergency on mining 
companies. The change towards liberation will herald then.

In the
 meanwhile please write as many letters of protest to Mr. Jairam Ramesh,
 Minister for Environment and Forest, Government of India, New Delhi 
protesting the mining activities withing zero kilometer buffer zone of 
Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary. His e-mail is jaira...@gmail.com.

Sebastian
 Rodrigues

http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2010/05/mining-companies-stage-coup-mines.html





  
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[Goanet] Mining in Goa - It is ECOCIDE

[Roland Francis]

---
Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment
 and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further
 environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa

  http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php
---

A concept of the law as reported in the latest Outlook magazine is currently
being pursued in the UK by the famous Richard Dawkins and Christopher
Hitchens. See the link  
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?265070.  - it makes for interesting
reading. 
 
With regard to an extension of this concept, the following paragraph would
indicate relevance to Goa if the international courts take cognizance. It
would then only be a matter of time before international warrants are
applied for an issued for the big fish responsible for the mining disaster
happening in Goa. Imagine Digamber Kamat and his scofflaw companions  along
with prominent mine-owners being put inside international prisons!
 
Higgins gives some examples of ecocide: the tar sands mining in Alberta, the
Pacific garbage patch, the pollution of the Niger Delta by oil companies(10
http://www.thisisecocide.com/hotspots/ ). She points out that ecocide is
rarely a crime of intent, but in most cases an incidental consequence of
other policies. Company directors or politicians could be prosecuted
individually(11
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/apr/09/ecocide-crime-genocide-un
-environmental-damage ), but instead of being fined they would be charged
for the restoration of the natural systems they've damaged. The purpose of
criminalising ecocide is to raise the costs of trashing the planet to the
point at which it ceases to be worthwhile. This is the obvious outcome of a
wider understanding of legal equality: why should private property be
protected while the common wealth of humanity is not?
 
Roland Francis

[Goanet] Mining Is A Resident Evil In Goa

[Freddy Fernandes]

---
Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment
 and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further
 environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa

  http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php
---

Mining Is A Resident Evil In Goa

 

http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Local%20News/Quepem-locals-flay-Collector-rsquo-s-de
cision-on-mining-trucks/35772.html

 

http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Local%20News/lsquo-Stringent-rules-to-curb-mishaps-i
n-mining-belt-rsquo/35771.html

 

http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Local%20News/Lucky-escape-for-scooterist-as-mining-t
ruck-loses-control/35809.html

 

From Sattari to Canacona along the eastern border mining thrives, no doubt it 
is
a source of the badly needed income to the Goan coffers. Mining in Goa has been
going on for ages. Along with the income to the Goan coffers, the miners too
have made a fortune for themselves and with this acquired wealth they have
managed to take control of the police, the bureaucrats, as well as the
politicians. Money is a powerful commodity that can turn wrong into right in no
time, and our miners are having a ball, with the politicians, bureaucrats and
the police in their pockets. 

 

Even with all the hue and cry over the dangers of mining to nature, environment
and to the human species as well, the government and the police are unwilling to
take any action against this highly polluting industry, both legal as well as
illegal. The CM who is also the Minister for mines, has promised action against
the erring miners umpteen number of times but unfortunately nothing ever
materialises. Instead there are only the implicit knee-jerk reactions whenever
there have been accidents, with more promises as usual but no action follows, at
this point in time, a mature and a tactful handling is required rather than the
high-decibel theatrics of our CM.

 

A lot of people have lost their precious lives, both young and old, to the
mining traffic, and after the latest causality, a ban on mining traffic was
enforced but again the money power of miners has played a pivotal role in not
only lifting the ban, but a free travel time is also being allotted to them from
6 AM to 6 PM, with namesake restrictions on load, speed and number of trips,
which are hardly of any consequence, as none of the restrictions are being
heeded by the mining traffic and are back to their usual business of F1
racetrack driving, the police when notified of the non compliances, have failed
to take any action, thus putting the lives of the public to further risks. Even
after the assurances that erring drivers and transporters would be taken to
task, by the Advocate General, just yesterday a scooterist had a lucky escape
when he missed to get run over by a mining truck which had lost control. What
action has been taken against this driver or the transporter ? Why is our
Government not showing any concern for the lives of the public ?

 

The affected people have so far shown tremendous restrain in the face of
intimidation and abuse of money and muscle power by the miners, the government
has to adhere to the genuine needs of the public and thread this path carefully,
because sooner or later the public is bound to loose patience and resort to
violence, and before that happens an amicable solution should be sought in
earnest, that will reduce the risk to the lives of the public and bring down the
pollution to required levels to maintain a healthy environment.   

 

My heart goes out to the people living in these mining areas, who breathe in the
dust, day in and day out, their water too in mostly contaminated, their houses
full of mining dust, making life, a living hell. It is indeed a good sign that
the people of Quepem are on to the streets in unity with peaceful protests
putting pressure on the Government and hope the CM sees reason before things get
complicated and out of hand. 

 

Freddy Agnelo Fernandes


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[Goanet] Mining in Netravali Wildlife sanctuary border

[sebastian Rodrigues]

---
Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment
 and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further
 environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa

  http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php
---



According to the information just received illegal mining activities has
 started in on the border of Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary. For the past 
two day it has been noticed by the villagers that 4 wheel loaders are 
stationed on the site and trucks are deployed transporting iron ore 
through the forest area. 50 truck loads of iron ore has been transported
 during the past two days.

When Goa Foundation order to close 
down the mining inside the sanctuary and the bufffer zones of sanctuary 
these mines with over 1,500 tonnes of ore was closed down. Hectic 
activities are noticed by the miners during the past one week wherein 
local MLA, local ZP member, Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao as
 well as manger of Chowgule mining company was seen inspecting the site.

According

 to the sources the mining ore is located in the villages of Viliena, 
Potrem, Todov and Bhatti, all in Sanguem taluka's lush green western 
ghats forests.

All the attempts to reach the Forest officials in 
Margao office has proved futile so far due to public holiday today.  
Reliable sources however informed that the plans are afoot to deploy Goa
 Police in large numbers in the next few days to facilitate illegal 
transportation of ore through Western Ghats forest.


Sebastian 
Rodrigues

http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2010/04/mining-in-netravali-wildlife-sanctuary.html




  
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[Goanet] Mining Petition deadline extended to 30 April 2010

[Eddie Fernandes]

---
Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment
 and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further
 environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa

  http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php
---

There have been technical problems with the Goan Voice site - particularly
on 12th to 13 April just before the entire site was switched to a new
server.

Apologies to those affected.  If you have signed the petition and your name
does not appear, please try again and report any problems.  

To check or to sign the petition, please go to
http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php

Thank you

Eddie Fernandes

[Goanet] Mining inside Selaulim Dam catchment area map

[sebastian Rodrigues]

Mining in and around Colamb, Sanguem is all pervasive scandal that is 
far away in the forest. Rulers in Panjim and Delhi are happy that they 
are far away from it. Now here is a map that pinpoints the detail 
vicissitudes of happenings in the catchment area of Goa's major water 
source that provides water to over 50% of its citizens. Tiger pug marks 
are cited too along with the mining leases here in western ghats.  Have a
 detailed look at what is happening in Goa's hinterland:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8hl=ent=hsource=embedmsa=0msid=110567999679666203830.00047df770931ddc0ac13z=12



http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2010/03/mining-inside-selaulim-dam-catchment.html

Warmly,
Seby
  
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[Goanet] Mining Moratorium -PETITION

[Carmen Miranda]

Dear All

You can now sign a Petition to the Minister of State for Environment and
Forest Mr Jaiaram Ramesh  on   http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php

The petition is not to lift the moratorium on new mining leases till such
time
 as the ministry has received and considered the environmental impact
assessment and Goa's mining carrying capacity report of NEERI.

Thanks for your help and cooperation.

Carmen Miranda

[Goanet] Mining again in Selaulim dam reservoir

[sebastian Rodrigues]

According to the reports coming in mining activities has resumed inside
the Selaulim dam reservoirs in Taluka. Selaulim dam supplies water to
large part of South Goa including to the cities of Margao and Vasco.
The mine is located in Curdi village. Few years ago Sunita Narayan of
CSE Delhi was attacked on this particular mine when she visited there
to investigate mining activities along with Selesian priest Philip Neri
de Sousa. After complaints to the authorities this mine was stopped.
Goa Assembly debates and decision also witnessed protests against
mining taking place inside Selaulim dam. But alas, miners in Goa cares
a hoot to Goa Assembly as well as to the common people as they are in a
hurry to plunder.

Sebastian Rodrigues

http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2009/12/mining-again-in-selaulim-dam-reservoir.html





  
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[Goanet] Mining Unrest: Why this keeps happening

[Mervyn Lobo]

Folks,
For those of you who are interested in this subject, here is a link to today's 
lead article in Canada's most popular newspaper, The Toronto Star. 
If anything, it give some indication of what western newspapers are capable of 
when their readers have enough interest in the subject.

And yes, for those in Goa, there are references to those in the western world 
who can help stop the abuse.
Mervyn



http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/729147--canadian-mining-firms-face-abuse-allegations


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[Goanet] Mining took first victim in this season

[JOAO FERNANDES]

John Fernandes Quepem, 9822169547 
 
A retired seaman Shri Remedio Quodros, resident of  Pimpolcotto Quepem,  became 
the first victim reckless and irresponsible mining transportation  via Quepem 
town of this season since its starting  on 19th October.
 
It may be recalled that Remedio Quodros on 5th November was dashed by a 
overloaded mining truck bearing number GA-09-U-0507 at Amona road  due to which 
he suffered severe injuries to his head. He was then admitted in GMC hospital 
Bambolim where on 9th October breadth his last. His funeral is fixed on 11th 
Oct.  at 9.30 AM.
 
Due to the rackless and irresponsible transportation of mining truck  resulted 
in  series of accident, constant traffic jam  in Quepem town in the last couple 
of days. 
 
Villagers of Quepem are angry over the death of Remedio and at any time may 
turn violent . The  Villagers informed herald that the administration that is 
functioning  is responsible for all the mess in Quepem town that is being 
created by the mining truck. They further informed that all the officers 
including the Dy-Collector, the RTO, the Executive Magistrate, the police are 
not bother to take action against the erring mining truck. One villagers who 
don’t want to disclose his name informed herald that the police who demand 
Rs.200/- from per truck as monthly installment will you expect them to take 
action against the erring truck  
One villager informed herald that  by administrative order dated the 
Dy-Collector of Quepem  specified the  speed limit for the mining truck in 
Villages as  40  while  in municipal area as  30 but does the collector or any 
of the the concerned officer bother to erect sign board or implement the order. 
The order passed by the Dy-Collecotor are  show piece.  
 
The Quepem police has deputed police in Quepem town to regulate the traffic, 
but these police instead of doing the work of policing  are working as employee 
of the mining company as they are not bother to take action against the over 
loaded or over speeding mining truck informed John Fernandes of Bibtimol. 
 
Transporting mining via Quepem town has become a money making business for the 
local representatives and the administrator but it has become a  death bed for 
villager of  Quepem informed a bazarkar of Quepem  who is fighting against the 
mining transport.
 
 


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[Goanet] Mining truck blocked at Quepem

[JOAO FERNANDES]

John Fernandes Quepem 
 
Taking cognizance of Herald Report dated 24/10/2009 a concerned Citizen of 
Quepem Adv. Fredrick Pereira in the interest of public has filed a complaint 
before Sub-Divisional Magistrate Quepem requesting therein to stop the mining 
transportation plying over the bridge. 
 
In his complaint filed before the SDM Quepem Copy of which has been forwarded 
to the  District Magistrate, South-Goa , the Executive Chief Engineer P.W.D, 
P.W.D Minister, Quepem MLA, Adv. Pereira has stated that the Quepem bridge 
which was constructed about 50 years back has become weak and  cracks have been 
developed to it and as  such is not feasible for heavy transportation.  
 
He has further stated that upon bringing this to the attention of the local 
PWD, the officials were quick to brush aside this grave issue, without applying 
their mind by cursorily and vaguely declaring that the cracks were a result of 
unevenness in the road surface. 
 
That on the very same day, 24-10-09, the PWD officials were extra quick to 
cover up these cracks and other adjacent area with tar and other road building 
material so as to cover up the cracks, ( like how a wrinkled old woman does, by 
putting on make-up to appear young and youthful ) and give a false and 
deceptive impression, that nothing ever happened to the bridge and that it has 
stood the test of time and also to keep away curious, concerned and 
apprehensive minds from initiating any action to safeguard the bridge. “Out of 
sight is out of mind” is the motto behind the cover up by the PWD, who, it 
appears are doing so under directions of vested interests states the complaint 
further.
 
The complaint further states that  the local PWD officials ought to have 
consulted and taken expert opinion in this matter from relevant experts as well 
as conducted basic tests, as it involves the safety of the bridge and 
eventually the life of the general public, in the event the bridge should 
collapse, which appears imminent unless proper and immediate salvage measures 
are taken
 
That the deterioration is further aggravated by the continuous and bumper to 
bumper plying of heavy overloaded trucks laden with iron ore which amounts to 
multiple Tons of unsafe and dangerous load on the bridge and it appears that 
the very cause of these cracks is this suggestion.
 
Adv. Pereira in his complaint prayed to execute the statutory laws and 
provisions envisaged under the Constitution of India and the Cr.P.C. to 
safeguard the welfare and safety of the general public..
 
He has also prayed to ban the movement of heavy traffic from plying over the 
Quepem bridge in the interest of public safety, until the bridge is declared 
safe for such use by the concerned and competent authority.
 

 
Tension  rose high in Quepem town today morning as over a minor accident that 
occurred in Quepem town the villagers of Quepem on Tuesday  blocked the entire 
mining transportation  plying via Quepem town for over an hour. 
 
The villagers of Quepem are annoyed with the reckless operation of  mining 
truck via Quepem as the mining truck are not following the terms and condition 
which the truck owners and transport contractor has  given in writing to the 
villagers Quepemkar. The series of accident that took place in Quepem Bazar 
since Friday further annoyed the villagers and were waiting for an opportunity 
to stop the transport. The minor accident that took place on Tuesday morning 
followed by a challenge given by a mining  sub contractor to one of the  
villager  stating that ‘to stop the mining truck and show” generated the spark. 
 
 
As soon as the accident took place around fifty villagers from Quepem town  
gathered and  blocked the mining truck. The blocked which started at around 
9.00 am continued till 9.45am . The transportation via Quepem town is so heavy 
that the line of loaded truck reached upto Igramol. 
 
The Quepem P.I. Santosh Narvekar with police team rush to the site and try to 
pacify the agitating villagers. He told the agitators  that they cannot stop 
transportation and told them that if they don’t want mining transport via 
Quepem town they can to a get court order. When his attention was drawn to a 
administrative order and questioned as to why the administrative order passed 
by the Dy-Collector with regard to mining truck are not implemented he could 
not reply. 
 
 
The villagers then  accused the police of being agent of the mining company as 
when the villager come on the road against the mining  immediately police 
appears at the site however  does nothing to prevent the nuisance such as 
overloading, over speeding, traffic ham that is being caused by the    mining 
truck. They also accused the police of not implementing the administrative 
orders passed by the Dy-Collector dated 26/11/2008 and 11/5/2009. 
 
Then at around 9.35AM Dy-S.P. Rohidas Patre appeared at the spot and appealed 
to the agitators to allow the mining truck to go. After a long 

[Goanet] Mining inside the Selaulim dam reservoir

[sebastian Rodrigues]

According to reports reaching from Curpem tow of the legislators of Goa 
Legislative Assembly has began mining inside the Selaulim Water Dam in Samguem. 
The Selaulim water dam supplies water to over 50% of Goa's population that 
includes Salcete, Marmagoa and Quepem Talukas. South Goa tourism industry as 
well as Margao City is dependent upon the water supply from Selaulim Water Dam.
 
Shantilal mining lease inside the water dam operated by Salgaonkar mining 
company with India's third largest legislator Anil Salgaokar with declared 
assets of whopping Rs.92 Crores - elected from Sanvordem Constituency in South 
Goa - is one of the responsibly irresponsible of the Goa's MLAs that is 
targeting Goa's Selaulim Dam.
 
The other colluding MLA is Joaquim Alemao who is also Goa's current Urban 
Development Minister in Digambar Kamat Cabinet. He is a contrator to operate 
Salgaokar's business through his firm Raissa mining company.
 
Salgaokar-Alemao mining nexus has been directing targeting the Selaulim dam 
from the later half of the first week of February 2009. The operations has been 
going on amidst tight private security and forest cover on the banks of Selauim 
dam is already chopped down by this brutal action by the two MLAs and their 
greed.
 
It is not yet clear as to what is their source of authority to target Selaulim 
Dam in this heinous manner.
 
 
Sebastian Rodrigues 

 
http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2009/03/mining-inside-selaulim-dam-reservoir.html
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[Goanet] Mining threatens Harvalem Waterfall

[sebastian Rodrigues]

Hello!

 
For text and pictures on mining threatened Havalem waterfall in Goa's Bicholim 
taluka, please click the link below:
 
http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2009/02/mining-threatens-harvalem-waterfall.html
 
Warmly,
Seby
 



 
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[Goanet] Mining Woes my a$$!

[Hartman de Souza]

One genuinely worries sometimes that the mining industry in Goa actually
thinks that Goans are stupid, and still blessed perhaps with the feudal
qualities that once enabled their manipulation if not downright
exploitation.
Shivanand Salgaocar, president of the Mineral Ore Foundation (MOF), and
joint managing director of VM Salgaocar and Brothers Pvt Ltd, was recently
moaning the fact that Goa’s Rs.60-billion (Rs.6,000-crore) low-grade iron
ore exports were expected to fall 50 percent this fiscal. While exports this
year have shown a marginal drop in terms of volumes he told a reporter from
IANS, the actual revenue earned has shrunk considerably.

“The prices for low-grade iron ore plummeted during the second half of
2008,” he continued to IANS on February 23rd, “right now, we are seeing a
steady renewal of demand for low-grade iron ore, but at virtually half the
original rates.”

On the 24th, to The Hindu’s business paper, he sang a different song. He
said Goa’s iron ore export industry, badly hit due to global recession
between September and December was on a comeback trail. “When recession hit
us,’ he told the paper, “the scene was bad. But in the last two months or
so, the situation has improved and there could be a marginal drop in terms
of volume. It is the decline in international prices of the long-term
contracts that is worrying us,” said Mr Salgaoncar.
Just how much Mr Salgaoncar worries and about what, is a moot point. For
instance he is nothing but optimistic about continuing to do to the Western
Ghats, what his own and his friend’s companies have done with such terrible
distinction, and with such rabid fervour from the late 80s, with total
disregard for the environment and norms governing it.

Given that one is a cash-rich mining baron, given that the panel within the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) that grants mining leases is
populated by representatives of the mining industry, they have got away with
murder. One still does not know for instance whether the Goan government, as
enjoined by the High Court has completed the mapping of forest areas, before
the mining industry’s lab in Hyderabad prepares a few more ‘templated’
reports to allow our forests to disappear.

While Mr Salgaoncar moans the fact that Japan and South Korea, the
industry’s favourite sons are wrecked by recession, he nonetheless sees the
importance of China, ‘spot’ market that he rues it is. Not for him any undue
worry that Goa’s ore is so low-grade it wouldn’t even be sniffed at by his
Japanese and South Korean friends.

“Goa’s iron ore grade is 58 per cent and below”, he tells the same
paper.  “Thanks
to the Chinese market, the ore of still lower grade has value and is
exported. The threshold value as per Indian Bureau of Mines is 55 Fe, but
for us, iron ore with value of 52 Fe is a viable opportunity,” observed Mr
Salgaoncar.

‘Viable’ my a$$!

As Hindu’s business paper reports, “Riding on a last quarter pick-up of iron
ore volumes by Chinese steel companies, Goan iron ore exporters are
confident that they would end the current financial year marginally below
last year’s ore exports.” Mr Salgaoncar even had the audacity to admit to
the paper that 80 per cent of Goa’s ore is low-grade. The paper writes he
explained the economics by saying that some of the Chinese steel mills used
our low grade ore to ‘blend’ with high grade ore procured from Brazil!!

We need to understand the nature of the mining industry’s angst. While Mr
Salgaoncar is upset over the over the low contract prices in the
international market, what he means is that instead of selling Goan earth
(and its forests and aquifers) at 80 rupees a kilo, he’s now selling it at
55 rupees. To understand the bucks here, Goa’s mining exports touched 40
million tonnes last year, including 33 million tonnes of Goan origin ore,
and the rest probably from Maharashtra where the Dempos, even as this is
being written, encroach on the magnificent Ghat off Sawantwadi and before
Ambolim.

In the current year, Mr Salgaoncar told the paper, his buddies and him could
end the current year with the figures of 38 million tonnes and 30 million
tonnes, respectively. This current recession is a crisis that must be borne
out by brave men like Mr Salgaoncar until the ship is steadied by cronies
and functionaries who refuse to see the writing on the wall and who refuse
to re-synchronize their gearboxes and differentials.

And this is where one comes to the point that perhaps the Timblos and Dempos
and Salgaoncars and all the rich and powerful who support mining, actually
think that Goans are stupid.

To the same business paper, replying to a specific question, Mr Salgaoncar
was anything but worrying. He told the paper that even considering the lower
threshold ore available in Goa, the mining could go on for AT LEAST ANOTHER
TWENTY YEARS.

So where does he think the mining will reach by that time? A kilometre or
two away from his official mansion?

Sadly, if there was any honesty 

[Goanet] Mining Desaster

[Freddy Fernandes]

EDITORIAL COMMENT | Deep Trouble
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4178256.cms?frm=mailtofriend 

 

Please check out the above link.

 

Acute water shortage could happen in the North, could happen in the South ,
could happen in the East as well as the West, but it's not going to happen in
Goa  If we are thinking on these lines, we are in for a rude shock. My place
does not fall in the mining area, so it will not affect me, this ideology will
certainly lead us to the epicenter of disaster. 

 

Water is an universal necessity, no water no life. We have seen the misfortune
of people all over India and we should thank God that Goa has not yet had an
experience on that front, and just because we have been fortunate so far, we
shouldn't be complacent and take our water resources and our water bodies for
granted, in fact we should do all we can to protect our water resources and
water bodies. 

 

The way mining, hill cutting and land filling is going on rampantly in Goa, the
doomsday doesn't look very far. I pray to all Goans, support the fight against
mining and mega housing, immaterial of the place or the area it's happening.
Don't wait for it to come to your doorway, try to stop it before you or the rest
of Goa succumb to it. 

 

We know that our politicians will not protect Goa and Goans, so it's up to us to
take up the gauntlet and do something positive to stop mining all together
before our wells and our water bodies run dry. May be that's what Ali baba and
his forty thieves want to happen, our Ali Baba could do the Maria Antoneta of
France, by saying if you don't have water, than drink beer, Mr. Kingfisher
would be delighted, wouldn't he and coffers overflowing for the thieves !! 

 

Goa, watch out , united we stand, divided we fall, stand united in our fight
against mining and mega housing.

 

Freddy Agnelo Fernandes


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[Goanet] mining in the time of booms

[Hartman de Souza]

-- Forwarded message --
From: Cynthia Stephen cynste...@gmail.com
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Subject: mining in the time of booms
To: Hartman de Souza hartman.deso...@gmail.com


Friends:

I do not know how many of you think you are personally affected by the
situation of mining in Goa. Mark my words, this fragile ball of rock on
which we live and move and have our being cannot be dug into without the
ground being cut under anyone's feet. I should know. I am daughter of a
brilliant mining engineer. He started his career in the 50s in the Gold
fields in Kolar, after doing a three-year diploma in Mining.  By 1959, he
was found medically unfit to work in the shafts, his lungs having been
seriously affected by the dust. He moved to the mining area in Bellary and I
grew up there. He spent two years in bed, and at the end of that, had passed
some exams which made him a full-fleged Engineer.  In the 70s, he began
working in one of the large privately owned mines in the area. We lived on a
hill 3000 feet above sea level, and drove daily down the hills, covered with
teak and sandal, and resplendent with orchids. Leopards stalked the forests
and we often heard of them grabbing dogs and goats reared by the handful of
residents in the tiny village there. The streams ran clear when it rained.
But it did not last long. Dad died at the age of 51 when I was 16. He had
lived on the lobe of one lung for may years, as the rest of his lungs had
been ravaged by silicosis. Back then, I was too young to know of
Occupational diseases and any rights he - or we - had.

I left the area in the 80s. But once, I went back. It had rained. The
streams were a blood-red torrent, the hillsides bleeding as the grass and
trees had been ripped up. I went through such trauma at the sight that I
vowed never to return. And this was before the craze for ripping open the
bowels, the womb itself, of Mother Earth And the hills, on whose benign
slopes trees swayed and sighed and leopards and deer played hide and seek,
were razed into bloody stumps. When fields where sunflowers grew were given
over to the bull-dozers. And to poor landless workers - Dalits and tribals,
mostly - were made jobless in droves while heavy earth movers replaced picks
and shovels and human hands.  I drove along the Highway towards Goa. The
ghats were ground to dust and the ore-laden trucks groaned and crushed the
road into non-existence. The roadside fields and villages were covered with
red dust. For hundreds of kilometres.  The brightest things one saw were the
faces of dolled-up young girls who peeped out from roadside tea-shops and
arrack-shops. Our bus stopped a long while at one watering hole, and when we
set off again, seemed to veer from one end of the road to the other, as the
sloshed driver tried to escape the headlights of oncoming traffic, and we
seemed not to be on land but riding on a very rough sea. All this was the
downside of the boom in mining. The other side is the well-known role that
mine-owners played, and continue to play, in the State's politics. Bellary
and Raichur, which contribute billions to the country and the state, have
almost no drinking water, or roads. Child marriages, HIV, and devadasi
systems persist, some of the highest levels in the country - and female
educational levels are even less than in Sub-Saharan Africa. The disparities
are stark and have  never gone away, before and even now when the mining
boom is on.

Citizens of Goa, wake up before it is too late. Defend, with your lives if
necessary, your land and water and hills. Because we are all part of this
earth. or else these industrialists and entrepreneurs will dig us all into
such a big hole that there will be no getting out alive.  All of our lives
are at stake.

-- 
Cynthia Stephen
Independent Writer and Researcher

And may you be blessed with the foolishness to think that you can make a
difference in the world, so that you will do things which others tell you
cannot be done
Every budding dictatorship begins by muzzling the artists, because they're
a mouthy lot and they don't line up and salute very easily.  Margaret
Atwood : Canadian Literary Icon.

[Goanet] Mining needs to be phased out - Interview with Wendell

[Cecil Pinto]

MINING NEEDS TO BE PHASED OUT:

In a tête-à-tête with Onilda Fernandes, Wendell Rodricks voices his
protest against mining companies, which are ravaging the distant
village of Colamb in search of wealth, and tells her that he has not
crossed swords with all mine owners.


You publicly announced that henceforth you would neither entertain nor
hang out with politicians or corporate honchos whose mining firms were
wrecking the environment. Could you elaborate?

I spoke with reference to the Colamb illage and the marauding mining
companies. Already one spring of water has been destroyed there,
something which was created by God. Water is needed to cultivate
fields, as a village survives on farming 365 days a year. Apart from
this, sometime back, an 85 year old woman was sent to jail for
protesting against the mining activity. Thanks to the huge generators
in the fields and mining trucks on the roads, villagers are
now deprived of their sleep as well. And through it all, the
government is protecting the perpetrators of this crime.


Would it be fair to put an end to all mining activity? After all, many
depend on it for their livelihood.

It would be unfair to abruptly stop all mining activity. Mining has
been a means of livelihood to industrialists as well as the common man
for a long time now. However, it has now become a problem to our
locals. I don't think anybody has the right to give our Goans
sleepless nights or employ outsiders who speak a foreign mother tongue
that our locals find difficult to converse with.
I have no personal axe to grind with the Chief Minister or Auduth
Timblo. But they cannot continue persecuting people to gain personal
wealth. Mining has to gradually phase out. It may take 5 or 10 years
but it cannot be allowed to destroy the existing eco system.


Will a boycott of the authorities help?

I do not know. It may sound aggressive, but I would like to use
peaceful means to protect Goans. I implore people who have money or
the ear of the government, to do pujas and pray to goddesses like
Saraswati so that wisdom is bestowed on miners and they stop ruining
people's lives. While praying to lord Ganesh to remove all obstacles,
these people
should realize that they themselves are the obstacles.  Its time
industrialists like Fomento and Timblo take a stand andthink about
people's welfare.


What about the ancillaries that depend on this sector, like truck
owners, garages, small restaurants etc? What will happen to them if
mining is stopped?

All are in debt, so that question doesn't even arise. Besides, they
can always move onto other means of sustenance. We too should look at
other areas of revenue. At present, our focus should be on the booming
sector, that is, the tourism industry. What are we going to show our
tourists, the ugly mines or a pristine Goa?


You have announced a personal boycott of politicians, but these
politicians are also representatives of the people, so, wouldn't it be
easier to work with them?

I don't protest against all politicians. There are good as well as bad
politicians. Mathany Saldanha is a very good politician.  Some
industrialists too are conscientious. I am against anybody who is
against the people of Goa. It breaks my heart that people are forced
to approach me, just because I am a famous person. They should be able
to go to the government or the police. Unfortunately here, politicians
control the police. Police too take the side of the rich.


Would this move of yours affect your business connections?
How can it? Politicians are not my clients. Neither do I depend on
them nor do they lean on me. According to me they lead a very boring,
corrupt existence. I, on the other hand lead a glamorous life with
film stars and models. I will continue to stand up for what I believe.


What about the Salgaonkar owned Goa Marriott Resort, where you
haveyour designer store?
They (Salgaonkars) have no connection with Colamb at the moment. But
if it comes down to moving my shop, that is really not a difficult
option for me.


Will you turn your back on the government completely?

I have always been available to the state when it required my help,
whether it was calling a dignitary for IFFI or designing police
uniforms. In this particular case, I have gone peacefully and spoken
to the DGP and chief secretary but to no avail. I don't see why people
do pujas for their family's benefit when they are destroying the lives
of so many others families.



--
The interview above appeared in Gomantak Times on 22nd December 2009
=

[Goanet] Mining --- think about alternatives and propose them to mine owners

[Samir Kelekar]

* * * * * * * * *   ANNUAL  GOANETTERS  MEET   * * * * * * * * *


  Goanetters in Goa and visiting meet Jan 6, 2009 at 3.30 pm at Hotel
Mandovi (prior to the Goa Sudharop event, which you're also welcome to).
Join in for a Dutch dinner -- if we can agree on a venue after the meet.

   RSVP (confirmations only) 9822122436 or 2409490 or f...@goa-india.org




Instead of taking extreme positions, I suggest Goan experts/expats come
up with concrete business proposals by which mine owners can diversify
into other areas and get out of mining in due course of time. That seems
like one of the ways in which the imbroglio can be resolved.

Food parks, plantations, fishing, eco-tourism, IT, packaging industry, media  
---
these are some of the alternates. However, the path is not going to be
easy. None of these industries make as much money as easily as just selling
the earth. But then, this much needs to be done for Goa.

regards,
Samir



  

[Goanet] Mining: Police Lathi Charge in Ambaulim, 7 villagers arrested

[Pravin Sabnis]

Police assaults lawyer Adv. John Fernandes
Seven School students beaten by police violence
Franky Rebello hit by Police lathi on head

In a continuing saga of Police violence on peacefully agitating anti-mining 
agitators Goa Police today added one more feather of shame in their kitty. 
Today December 17, 2008 Goa Police unleashed terror on agitating Ambaulim 
villagers yet again. It is indeed remarkable precurser to Goa Liberation Day - 
that is about to come after just couple of days on December 19 - one is remined 
of Notorious Portuguese Colonial Police Officer MONTEIRO. 

At 8.30 am today morning Ambaulim villagers blocked road of the mining trucks 
at Deao. At 9.30 Quepem mamlatdar came to the spot and he accepted memorandum 
demanding stoppage of dust pollution and stoppage of overloaded trucks on their 
village road. A week ago villagers had submitted the memorandum to the 
authorities but they turned the blind eye on the villagers' demand as mining 
companies carries more weight in the eyes of the administration. Villagers were 
left with no option but to come out on the road.

At 11.30 am a Goa Armed Police van filled with police reached to the venue 
along with the Quepem dyputy collector Venancio Furtado. After some heated 
arguments with the Deputy collector, villagers moved away from the road. Just 
then, according to an eyewitness one villager told deputy collector that his 
children will be cursed in case he used police violence on the villagers. This 
allegedly infuriated the deputy collector and he used this as pretext to order 
police to lathi charge.

During the lathi charge process one villager Franky Rebello was hit on his head 
before he was arrested. 45-year-old woman Remiz Fernandes was violently drag on 
the road by police. Laywer Adv. John Fernandes was hit twice with lathis on his 
back. Police tried to arrest him on the spot but all the three police attempt 
to do so was foiled by the courageous women protesters who counter attacked the 
police and rescued Adv. John Fernandes  On one occasion police chased Adv. John 
Fernandes the distance of 100 meters in sprint style. Seven school students who 
were also protesting against mining were also violently assaulted by Police 
personnel.

Arrested people from the spot of lathi charge includes William Luis, Satulin 
Luis, Fatima Fernandes, Franky Rebello, Glen Rebello, Diego Fernandes besides 
Anton Jose Fernandes who was arrested from his home after the lathi charge. 
Police were searching people's houses to effect more arrests from Ambaulim 
village in Quepem Taluka when reports last came in at around 4. pm.
Terror tactics are seen as last ditch desperate attempts to silence the 
increasingly vociferous people of Goa. Now it is terror square - mining terror 
and police terror combine.

Sebastian Rodrigues 
http://www.mandgoa.blogspot.com/


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[Goanet] Mining and Art?

[Venantius Pinto]

 It also behooves artists to be aware of what they are getting into. Very
often artists do not know the details of an exhibiting enterprise. They are
only to hapy to be shown and seen, while internally discussing who is or who
is not an artist. It takes a while to imbue the kind of
awareness delineated in Hartman's thoughts, though not essentially required
of an artist, nor the kinds of demands most artists subject themselves to.
While remembering that individuals march to their own tune -- their own
'hyperphysics' one can only expect so much. Corporate sponsorship is often
ardently pursued to realize projects. But awareness of what is entailed, one
hopes is always considered. There are many kinds of interventions which the
art cognoscenti, curator's and the artists themselves should attempt to make
the field more egalitarian -- to begin with, it ought to be a concern. This
takes time and some vision; failing which it is business as usual for the
corporates and their PR personel. Subject matter on the part of an artist,
and that difficult subjects get show is an altogether another issue but one
that must confront notions of what it is to give and receive monies.

One cannot be faulted in believing that artists of a certain stature -- in
terms of measurable succes in the current art firmament, would be aware of
what they associate with. This is easier said than done. Artists have to
learn to voice themselves; for instance against the recent comments by
Freedom Fighters against namesakes, things, and ideas Portuguese -- at the
very, very least as a quid pro quo, by those having benfitted from ideas
stemming from the Reformation, and many will contine to do so through
various Portugese organs, relationships, educational experiences and other
quaint blushes with colonialism. But this may be harder to do in Goa than I
think. In Goa despite perceptions and appearances many of these
beneficiaries are not in large number Christians. This means that
opportunities that have been available have not spurned, to say the least --
they have been availed of. I say this since one cannot tell someone what
opportunity to accpet or reject, as long as one knows how ones bed is beng
made; or perhaps be blissfully unaware -- this not being entirely
contradicory, although it may appear as such.

Venantius J Pinto





 Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2008 12:28:10 +0530
 From: Hartman de Souza [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Subject: [Goanet] Mining and Art?

 * *

 On November 4th, The Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP,  inaugurated, at the Nehru
 Centre, London, 'Goa Contemporaries', an exhibition of works on paper by
 seven Goa-based artists. Presented by Kiki's London, the show is
 co-sponsored by the Vasantrao Dempo Education and Research Trust and
 Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, a Dattaraj V Salgaocar initiative.



 How terribly sad!



 Not the exhibition itself, whose curator is the well-known writer, Maria
 Mascarenhas, who is herself an art collector with a discerning eye. From
 all
 appearances, a great deal of thought has gone into bringing together the
 work of Julio De Souza, Swatee Kotwal, Apurva Kulkarni, Deviprasad C Rao,
 Suhas Shilker, and Norman Tagore. A high point of the exhibition is
 showcasing the work of Vamona Navalcar, Goa's senior-most artist, and the
 first Goan to study at the Escola Superior de Belas Artes of Portugal. One
 is, of course, a little surprised, if not bewildered that the irascible but
 brilliant Charudutta Prabhudesai finds no place on this otherwise fresh and
 exciting take on Goan contemporary art.

 (DELETED)
 It does not appear that the mining corporations responsible for the
 non-profits that funded this art exhibition have understood this.

 Hartman de Souza


 End of Goanet Digest, Vol 3, Issue 1443
 ***

[Goanet] Mining and Art?

[Venantius Pinto]

Dear Hatman,
A followup:
My opinion has always been that is solely the prerogative of the curator as
to who gets shown. Period.
Of course interviews with the curator often reveal their thinking
and selection process. Curators are also collectors, and the art markets is
complex, but it is still their right to shape shows as per the concept they
are presenting to the viewing public. They also shape the market, much as
the artists may if they choose, and often do. The artst can always be an
artist even if not known or with no works being sold. The curator needs art
to curate.

venantius


 From: Hartman de Souza [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Subject: [Goanet] Mining and Art?

 One
 is, of course, a little surprised, if not bewildered that the irascible but
 brilliant Charudutta Prabhudesai finds no place on this otherwise fresh and
 exciting take on Goan contemporary art.

[Goanet] Mining and Art?

[Hartman de Souza]

* *

On November 4th, The Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP,  inaugurated, at the Nehru
Centre, London, 'Goa Contemporaries', an exhibition of works on paper by
seven Goa-based artists. Presented by Kiki's London, the show is
co-sponsored by the Vasantrao Dempo Education and Research Trust and
Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, a Dattaraj V Salgaocar initiative.



How terribly sad!



Not the exhibition itself, whose curator is the well-known writer, Maria
Mascarenhas, who is herself an art collector with a discerning eye. From all
appearances, a great deal of thought has gone into bringing together the
work of Julio De Souza, Swatee Kotwal, Apurva Kulkarni, Deviprasad C Rao,
Suhas Shilker, and Norman Tagore. A high point of the exhibition is
showcasing the work of Vamona Navalcar, Goa's senior-most artist, and the
first Goan to study at the Escola Superior de Belas Artes of Portugal. One
is, of course, a little surprised, if not bewildered that the irascible but
brilliant Charudutta Prabhudesai finds no place on this otherwise fresh and
exciting take on Goan contemporary art.



One could even venture that this exhibition must also be taken to Mumbai,
New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai, and yes, perhaps even Baroda and
Shantiniketan, if only to dispel the notion that most Indians (even the rich
ones) have of Goa…the perfect place to chill out and eat and drink, where
the natives are a frolicsome bunch who play the guitar while leaning against
a coconut tree. Those who see this exhibition may just make the connection
that the lineage of Gaitonde and Souza (my personal favourites) continues in
good health.



No, at the end of the day I am sad because the funding for this exhibition
has came from two sources that have their roots of commerce in mining ore,
or, simply put, prioritizing private company-specific profit over the
environment.



It's a pity I live in Pune, where this venerable city's only football team
did not qualify for the national league. Had that happened I would have been
out in full force with every single school student who likes football
cajoled into joining me with placards everytime Dempo's, Salgaoncar, Vasco
(do they have mining interests?) and now even Churchill Brothers (Haven't
the Alemao's just bought a mine?) kicks the ball around.



I love Goan football, make no mistake about that. My placards would read:
'With such beautiful football, why mine ore and screw the earth?';
'Beautiful football and mining don't go hand in hand'; 'Play with Goa's
future like you play with a ball'; and so on and so forth, depending on how
much money I can raise to buy cardboard and paint. If I was in Greenpeace in
fact, I would have great fun at stadiums highlighting how mining is
destroying Goa for the sake of four or five families who have nothing on
their mind but making money out of exporting Goa's mud.



When families over the years have made enough wealth to ensure their
prosperity for at least another four generations, one would think that they
would have thought of diversifying into other forms of commerce and trade
that were more ecologically sensitive. The software industry for instance,
agriculture, ecotourism…convert the barges into houseboats…there's N number
of possibilities if the companies in question just answer a few tough
questions on the link between the protection of bio-diversity today and the
promise of Goa's future.



The time for prevaricating whether mining is profitable or not is absurd,
because one must perforce ask at what cost? Now is the time for company
introspection and reflection, if not self-critique. Perhaps even the
commissioning of an independent social audit or what, in some circles is
known as displaying corporate social responsibility. For me, the arts are
indelibly linked with respect for the environment and life. The arts *
celebrate* life and point us to the spirituality inherent in something as
basic as mud.


It does not appear that the mining corporations responsible for the
non-profits that funded this art exhibition have understood this.

Hartman de Souza

[Goanet] Mining transport stoped at Cavrem today

[JOAO FERNANDES]

Tension rose high in Cavrem Quepem on Monday when a mining truck driver 
drove his truck in a rash and negligent manner endangering the life of a 
motorcycle rider from Vilipwada Cavrem. .


The incident occur at around 11.30 AM when the truck loaded with iron  ore 
was proceeding towards Tank where the ore is stacked,  when reached at a 
narrow bridge at cavrem drove the truck in a rash and endanger manner 
thereby risking the life  motorcycle rider Thulo Velip who was proceeding to 
his house at Velipwada. However said Thulo Velip escape unhurt.
The  irritated villagers noted the number of the truck and all the villagers 
who were working in the paddy field marched on the main road and stopped the 
truck involved in rash and negligent driving while returning. The irritated 
villagers then manhandled the  driver of the said truck. It seems that the 
truck was transporting the ore from magnum mine operating in survey number 
27/1 and 27/2 and transport contractor of which is Balli Zilla Panchayat 
member Subhash Fall Dessai.


The villagers then stopped the entire mining transport  from operating on 
the road. They demanded the appearance of the contractor at the site.  At 
around 1.30 Quepem police appeared at the spot and in the process of 
diffusing the situation  requested the villager to allowed the loaded truck 
to go. That at the request of the police the villagers allowed the loaded 
truck which were blocked  to go but with a condition that till the 
contractor appeared before the villagers and meet their demand  no transport 
should be started. It is learnt that the transport is be operated by Balli 
Zilla panchayat member Subash Fall Dessai who was once upon a time a strong 
opposer of mining at a  Public hearing held at Fatorpa regarding the Bauxite 
mine has recently turned into a mining contractor has decided to meet the 
villagers on Tuesday evening.


Meanwhile the villagers of Cavrem  informed herald that at the time of 
starting the transport the contractor  assured the villagers that the 
transportation will be done with due care without endangering the life of 
the villagers , however within the last few months three to four cases of 
negligent driving their by endangering the life of the villagers have