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Perhaps you are aware, perhaps you are not aware that mining posses formidable
threat to the Goas’ survival. Yet it is true; mining has been terrorising Goa
over the past five decades. People of Goa have tolerated this all these while
but they can no longer do so. Hence we share this message with you so that you
can take it far and wide as friends and well wishers of Goa and its People.
Due to rampant exports of iron ore to many countries in the World including
China and Japan due to demand for steel, our villages in hinterlands – in the
talukas of Bicholim, Sattari, Sanguem and Quepem – are facing terror attacks of
the mining industry that is largely supported by the government in Power. The
Goas’ monstrous mining industry that took birth in the womb of Portuguese
Colonialism has only flourished after Goa’s liberation and integration with
India. Today it constitutes Goa’s number one enemy that is destroying our water
bodies every day. Our majestic green mountains of Western Ghats are being
chopped down for exports. Villages in the mining belt are becoming increasing
thirsty for water and ironically depending upon the very industry to quench
their thirst. Pissurlem village in Sattari Taluka is only one example to this
situation.
Mining has damaged agriculture – our paddy fields – and snatched food from our
plates. It has silted our rivers so badly that fish no longer spawns, Kushavati
river is only an example to this. Our villages are becoming increasing poorer
while few mining companies are usurping entire profits. A coterie of people has
evolved as contractors of the mining industry and providing their services for
speedy destruction of Goa forever. Forever because none of them has ever
created Single Mountain that they are robbing today from our future generations.
Our water supply stands badly threatened due to mining activities taking place
in the catchment areas of Selaulim, Opa and Assanora Dams.
Our two main rivers are taken over by the mining industry for loading and
transportation of ore. Mandovi has 37 loading points with 1500 trips of barges
per year while Zuari has 20 loading points with 1800 trips per year. Trips are
from loading point to Marmagao Harbour from where the ore is exported in giant
ships. Several big open cast iron ore mines operate in the catchment areas on
Mandovi and Zuari rivers leading to huge accumulation of silt. Each mine
creates rejection between 1000 - 4000 tonnes!
Our protected Area forest too is targeted by the mining industry. After Supreme
Court closed down nearly 150 large mines miners have gone to Supreme Court they
are permitted to resume around 60 these mining leases. Goa has forest cover of
1224 sq. km in addition to 200 sq. km of private forest.
Number of protest has erupted in Goa today because of mining. However mining
companies in collusion with State Police force is involved in beating up and
arrests of the protestors in routine manner. Colamb, Advalpal, Cavrem, Sirgao,
Pissurlem, Mayem, Usgao, Maina, Khola etc are some of the villages that has
have rose to challenge mining industry and are constituting boiling points of
directly affected Peoples’ Protests in Goa. Number of tribal villages too is
directly at the receiving end of the mining invasion and has challenged the
industry.
We request you to take the message out from Goa that mining industry is
terrorizing Goa – its people and nature – and we want mining terrorism to stop
and Goa to remain prosperous without mining.
Remember constitutes 0.11% of India’s land mass and involved in 35% of India’s
iron ore export. We are doing this at the cost of our very survival as people
and at the cost of our rivers and water bodies that are source of life. Mining
is on project to transform Goa into desert wherein everyone will want to avoid
this place forever. No tourism, No fisheries, No IIFI, No agriculture, lots of
building with no water running in their taps, No longer green goa as mining
converting Goa into bloody red, lots of fights over water and survival assets.
Mining companies would have made their money by then- in fact they already have
– and settled in Switzerland, France or other green pastures.
Yeah, it is good to know how much money Mining industry has already made over
the past few years: In 2003-2004 total legal (there is a huge illegal export
that goes unaccounted) iron ore export was 22,942 thousand tonnes fetching
Rs.46,457 million. In 2004-2005 total legal iron ore export was 24,717 thousand
tonnes earning Rs.61,174.575 million. In 2005-2006 total legal export was
25,314 thousand tonnes at the value of Rs.1,77,198 million.
In addition to this large number of Members of Goa Legislative Assembly (MLAs)
has entered into mining business during the past 5 years. That has seriously
eroded capacity of Goa legislature to even bother about ongoing mining
terrorism.
With Goa’s mining companies earning such a huge income it is hard to explain as
to why Goa needs to have deficit budgets. In 2003 budget deficit was 2,141.10
crore rupes, in 2004 it climbed up to 2,615.17 crore rupees, and in 2005 budget
deficit short up to 3088.67 crore! It is all because mining industry is juicing
out Goa in every possible way! With this earnings Goa would have been highly
prosperous State. But it is all round loot of Goa at the behest of handful of
Mining companies that Goa urgently has to get rid of.
Stop mining terrorism in Goa NOW!
Gawda Kunbi Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED)
Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP)
Ganv – Ghor Rakhan Manch (GGRM)
For further update log on at www.mandgoa.blogspot.com
http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2008/11/stop-mining-terrorism-in-goa-now.html
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