------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | New on Goanet's website's A&E section - http://www.goanet.org | | Book in Review: A Kind of Absence - João da Veiga Coutinho | | POEM: SUSEGAAD - Cynthia Gomes James | | http://www.goanet.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=216 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Only mines, no heart by Preetu Nair
(This article appeared first in GT Weekender, Panjim edition, January 8, 2005) "Babuso arrived at Pandhari's house with Prasad babu, a Gujarati mine owner with a plan and a certain dream. A dream where mine pits make gold and certain money too. Unlike a farmer's job, where after sowing the field for six months, a farmer may not earn anything because of a bad crop. With the promise of better money, Pandhari was lured away from his traditional work to a new work. But little he realizes then that he has lighted a lamp that is slowly going to burn his village, his home and finally people. These characters of Sahitya Akademi winner Pundalik Naik's novel Acchev (The Upheaval) come alive in very many persons that one meets at Sattari taluka in Northern district of Goa. Just like Pandhari they were few years back lured away with dreams of a better future and good life and development. But little did the villagers realize that the decision that they are taking in one moment of weakness would destroy their future forever and bring in grief and utter devastation. And yet they know that there is no respite now! Mining activities in the area has destroyed their source of water and majority of villagers are now depended on water supplied by the water tankers of the mining units in the area. Majority of fields in the area are destroyed and people are forced to work in the mining units, often for a paltry sum to ensure that they provide two time meal to their family. Every year, the mining industry excavates some 80 million tonnes of iron and manganese ore with mud from the mountains in Goa. This has turned the forested areas of Satteri into a barren land and disrupted ground water table, destroyed the fields and degraded the habitat of ordinary men and women. The problem is immense but no government in Goa or any political party has ever indicated either interest or commitment to deal with the problems created by the mining industry. No doubt the mining units have created a fair amount of employment and helped Goan economy but the price these villagers in the mining area are paying is too huge. "We have lost everything. Our fields are completely destroyed. Our wells are dry. We made several complaints to the mining companies and even government, but to no avail. Now if mining activity is stopped then people in the village will die of hunger and thirst (water is provided by the mining area). However, it would have been a different story if mining activity had stopped 15 years back, but then people never knew the ill-effects of mining," said Balchandra Gawde of a mining affected village of Pissurlem. Balchandra is full of stories of how, the mining activity in the area has slowly but steadily destroyed the economy of the place and destroyed their peace and health. "People fall sick in the area at the drop of a hat. The main reason for this is air and water pollution. The tankers which provide water is hardly cleaned (once a year). This is the water we use for drinking, cooking etc. as a result; stomach ailments are quite common in the area. Tuberculosis and lung ailments are also very common. My aged mother often falls sick because of the dust pollution." He recollects that 12 year back he led a comfortable and calm life with his family and worked in the 2000 sq mt field that he tilled. At that time what he cultivated, the family ate. "I didn't have to worry about rice or vegetables as everything was grown by us. But the during one monsoon, as the ore rejects descended with the rains into the fields with the rain water entered the fields and destroyed the land and the crops. Now we have to purchase everything from the market and it is very expensive", he said. Balchandra admits that every year the mining companies pay them money for the loss to agriculture but this money is quite less. "We have complained to the mamlatdar (village officer) but it has not helped. There are around 150 mundkars (tenants) in our village, but it is only the influential ones who get a decent sum while the rest get a paltry sum," he added. Damage to agriculture is irreversible. Ironically, severely hit by mining activity Balchandra is now compelled to work in a mining company for Rs 7000 per month. "I have no other option. With my fields completely destroyed, I am forced to work in the mining unit or leave my home and migrate to another place in search of better opportunities. I choose the former." Village wells are adversely affected due to percolation, pollution and disruption of the water table. Mining activity is also responsible for pollution of water by oil and grease. It is not that Balchandra and other villagers from the mining areas have not approached the government for help, but there request for help had been turned down by the government. "In 1997, I had written a letter to then CM Pratpsigh Raoji Rane, who is incidentally our MLA, to look into these issues, but there was no reply. Now I am tired of the government lethargy and inaction and am trying to readjust to the new way of life, however bad it maybe," he added. It is not just Balchandra's voice. It is the voice of several villagers who have been affected by the mining units but don't have the courage to stand up against the unit, lest they be troubled or left jobless. Jayshree Naik, (we are not revealing where she stays because we don't want her husband rendered jobless) who stays close to one of the mining units bears a lean look. The roof of her house appears to be painted red, but a closer look reveals that it is a film of red dust. She is waiting for the promised rehabilitation since last five years. Her husband works in one of the units and she is scared to speak against the mine owners, lest her husband is rendered jobless. However, she admits that living close to the mining units is not easy. "After 7 pm the dust pollution is immense as they stop sprinkling water. Besides there is lot of noise pollution as trucks keep on coming and going. Due to this often we don't even get a good sleep," she complained. The trucks raise large quantities of dust, which enters their house and adds to their misery. This is the dust they breathe everyday. Gurudas Samanth, a retired school teacher from Honda recollects how three years back, the whole waddo (neighborhood) was under water during monsoon. "Around midnight due to heavy rains, the miming dumps became full with water and due to pressure the retaining wall broke and the water entered our fields and home. We were shocked. The waddo was in complete darkness. Somehow we managed to escape but our belongings were destroyed," he said. And did the mining units and government tired to help them? "The government paid Rs 5000 as compensation to the affected people. But I am yet to get the compensation. In mid 2004 I got a cheque of Rs 5000 from the Mamlatdar's office, but I had to send it back as my surname was spelt wrong. After that I have never heard from them", he added. Sixty seven year old Vasant Marathe, Honda in Sattari taluka recollects the time when his khua ghar (plantation) was rich with areca nuts, coconuts and spices. At that time he dreamt of a peaceful and calm life in the village, but now he complains of sleeplessness and ill-health due to the dust pollution. This was 15 years back when the mining activity had not completely destroyed their resources and polluted the place. Once a mining work started in between the nullah from which the water came to the fields, the water stopped and they had to incur huge loss. Now since last 10 years they are using an unused pit of mining unit to pump water to the fields. "This year mining companies have refused to fill diesel in the pumps and we are still waiting for the pump to start. We are helpless. We went to meet the Chief Minister this week. He has given us an assurance. Let's see what he does for us", he says. As a parting shot, he added, "One day there will be a more serious and stronger agitation than the one happening at Saleli. The poor have been oppressed and suppressed since long by the mine owners with the help of the police, bureaucracy and politicians. But one day, people will unite and stand up in revolt. I just hope it is not too late." Mining The growth of mining activities is accompanied by deterioration in quality of environment (air, water and land) besides life. Mining operation involves drilling, blasting, ripping, dozing, loading, waste disposal sizing and washing ores in beneficiation plants. AIR Mining dust pollution is a major hurdle in the area. Trucks carrying huge tons of ore raise large quantities of dust. Though they are covered it doesn't help and the dust enters home and people are forced to breathe this dust every moment. The village during evenings appears to be shrouded in gloomy pall of ore dust. WATER The factors contributing to discharge of water bodies are discharge of mine pit water, waste water from wet beneficiation plants, rain run-off from the dumps, effluent from workshops, pumping out water to rivers and streams from mines. Soil erosion and run off from mine dumps due to heavy rains causes siltation of rivers, streams, nallahs and even agriculture lands. Even the ground water is severely affected and due this often the river, nallahs and wells in the area have gone dry. LAND The villages which were two decades back completely agricultural land with rabi and kharif crops have been completely destroyed. For mining, land is required not only for mine excavation but also for waste dumping, ore stockyard, infrastructural facilities etc. Since the over burden ration in Goa is more than 1:3 enormous waste material is generated per tonne of iron ore and so huge area outside the mining lease area is required for the dumping. Mining has also effected the streams that irrigate the fields and in certain cases the fields themselves. At some places agricultural land has been converted to a dumping pit.