Mining takes its first blood in this season‏ in Quepem

A retired seaman Shri Remedio Quodros, resident of Pimpolcotto, Quepem, became the first victim of reckless and irresponsible mining transportation via Quepem town of this season since it began on 19th October 2009.

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 asked 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 that by administrative order of the Dy-Collector of Quepem specified the speed limit for the mining truck in Villages as 40 mph while in municipal area as 30 mph but neither the collector or any of the the concerned officers bothered to erect sign board or implement the order. The orders passed by the Dy-Collecotor are show pieces.

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 bothered to take action against the over-loaded or over speeding mining trucks, 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 villagers of Quepem" expressed bazarkar of Quepem who is fighting against the mining transport.

Mining triggers accidents in Quepem

Mining industry has created tremendous tension for the people of Goa. These set of pictures are of November 06, 2009 from Quepem when mining truck rammed into a two wheeler. The rest of the pictures are self explanatory. The hurry to extract ore has resulted in mining traffic congestion resulting from nearly 2000 trucks per day playing on Quepem roads. Mining poses major public health Threat to the State of Goa.

Mining creates unemployment

Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) express strong objections to the comments of mining in Panjim reported in section of press in Goa yesterday by the newly elected Sindadurg Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Maharastra assembly Mr. Deepak Kesarkar.

Mr. Kesarkar while referring to Kalne mining revolt in Maharastra said that mining is not a major problem before society while unemployment is and Mining is the way to solve the problem of unemployment.

GOAMAP invites Mr. Kesarkar to visit Goa’s Sirgao village in Bicholim taluka and be witness to the common phenomena of mining creating not only unemployment for the large number of farmers cultivating their agriculture but also created dangerous situation of food and water insecurity by causing siltation of paddy fields and depletion of groundwater flow. Thus Mr. Kesarkar’s statement is factually incorrect based on wild imagination and day dreaming after the due process of palm greasing by mining industry.

Mr. Kesarkar has further said that mining companies must obey the law and Pollution Control Boards and Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is there to take care of pollution created by mining industry. GOAMAP challenges Mr. Kesarkar to give example of at least one mine in whole of India in the entire period in Post Independence India wherein mining companies has complied with laws or Pollution Control Boards and MoEF has effectively implemented laws. Currently mining companies are to obey 180 conditions under various clearances given by government agencies. None of these are obeyed by any of the mining companies anywhere in India or are any government agencies effective in implementing laws on mining companies.

GOAMAP humbly urges Mr. Deepak Kesarkar not to indulge in proliferation of confusion promoted by propaganda machinery of the mining industry as spokesman of mining industry.

GOAMAP has expresses total support to People of Kalne in opposition to mining aggression on land, Forest, Agriculture, Water sources, and human rights and human dignity of People of Kalne, Maharastra.

VEDANTA AWARE!

What?

Various organizations, community organizations and concerned individuals from different parts of the world collaborated at interface with the banks financing Vedanta mining company on September 22 2009 in London. Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) from Goa was one amongst them.

Why?

It was felt that while we were struggling at local level and networking at National level, it was also important to forge international solidarity alliances mainly because Vedanta mining company that purchased two mining companies recently – Sesa Goa and Dempos is finances by various sources from different parts of the World. Banks are amongst the largest of Vedanta’s financers. Vedanta as a company even though headed by Indian is a British company and listed at London stock exchange. Meeting in London gave an occasion to participating banks to learn about all the environmental crimes as well as human rights abuses Vedanta owned mining companies were indulging into.

How?

There are rising concerns about the Vedanta indulging in various parts of India. The most highlighted example in this regard is Vedanta’s aggressive policy of investments into mining and allied industry in Orissa. Niyamgiri hills are on the Vedanta’s target for mining. Vedanta has been facing increasing resistance from Dongria tribal groups whom Niyamgiri Mountain is sacred. Protests of various kinds by various groups in Orissa flowed into national agenda of protest against mining industry earlier this year when a group of activists successfully stormed the function at one of the schools in Shimla to reward Vedanta with Golden Peacock Award for excellence.

This led to the Salem meeting in August this year of various community groups from Orissa, Tamilnadu and Goa, as well as various supportive people located in Delhi. Here fresh networking possibilities were forged. London meeting was one of the things that was discussed and carried forward successfully from here.

In Goa all the affiliated groups were informed about the London meeting and researcher that has worked with groups in Goa for nine months and based in Cambridge University was appointed as representative of GOAMAP. Principle of transparency was put in action. All the letters via e-mail from GOAMAP informing its London representative about Vedanta’s behavior in Goa was shared with all the known groups and individual in India and abroad with e-mails simultaneously to trigger off wider process and discussions and to guarantee transparency.

The Goa representative H.Bedi based on this material and communications prepared slide show and screened it at the London conference. There were other presentations too specially from India and Other parts of the World. Adv.Ritwick Dutta from India, Simon Chase from Zambia and Roger Moody from England were other presenters. Meeting was jointly organized by three organizations – one from Germany named Urgewald and second one from Netherlands known as Banktrack and Amnesty International from England . Meeting was attended by nine banks from Europe. None of the banks from England and India participated. Since meeting was held under Chatham House rules, 1927 in international law the names of banks attended and proceeding of the meeting are legally protected from public sharing.


Sebastian Rodrigues

Canacona flood - few glimpses, few insights

Devidas Gaonkar captured some key moments of the Canacona floods in early October 2009.

This picture is mouth of Talpona river in Talpona. The mouth of river twenty five years ago was 300 meters wide. Curretly due to siltation the mouth of river just 28 meters. The island seen in the picture is actually a silt accumulated over the past two decades...


Goods vehicle on road at Bhatpal - Highway NH 17 - caught in floods...

Houses under floods in Bhatpal. ground floor was affected by flood waters...

Houses destroyed due to floods in Poinguinim. 93 houses collapsed in Canacona taluka due to floods and 2 People died.

This house crushed due to floods at Poinguinim.

Another site of house collapse in Poiguinim. Most of the house collapsed are in Panchayat Jurisdictions of Poinguinim and Loliem.

Bridge washed away in Ponsulemol, Khotigao. Now wooden make shift bridge installed by villagers.

Due to bridges washing away in flood waters villagers have made Bandharas as wooden bridges. This picture is from Ponsulemol, Khotigao.

Talpona River changed its course. Once it was a paddy field in Ponsulemol. Due to this phenomenon people not only lost paddy but also their land - now occupied by river course. Where will the people cultivate paddy in next season. Seeds of crisis are sown here - question of food security for families, for communities.

Some people are yet to gather courage to look at the future. They are still looking at past, what floods brought them...

For the present they are forced to live in huts like this one at Mahalwada, Poinguinim. Reality is real as reflected through the cupboard mirror.




Cleaning up the debris of house collapse in Mahalwada, Poinguinim...

This lady - Baby from Ardhofond - had a brush with death. She and her family - husband and daughter had narrow escape. Just as water entered her house she broke open window and pushed out her bedridden husband along with the daughter out. Then she got out. Few seconds later house collapsed.

One scene of flood water in Babrem, Loliem adjacent to a house.

Temporary human residence in cowshed at Welwada, Poinguinim. Cattle are tied in open.

Reconstruction of houses has began. This particular picture is from Welwada, Poiguinim.

Government official in chair but with a difference: Canacona Mamlatdar Vinayak Volvoikar moved around with people in the middle of floods sometimes risking his life. He rendered all the help possible...

Sebastian Rodrigues

More Pictures from Canacona floods...

This man from Dhangar community Thoko Dhaku from Dabel, Canacona regrets that he was not able to save the calf lying dead besides him. He saved number of cattle from getting washed away in flood waters. Another series of Canacona flood pictures from Devidas Gaonkar...

This man Bhiva Gaonkar Kuske, Khotigao is trying to put together shelter for cattle. It was razed down during floods.

Silt deposited inside the space used for sheltering cattle

Cleaning the silt: work in progress in Kuske...

Remains of Banana plantations after the floods...

Villagers from Yedda, Khotigao assessing the damage caused by floods...

Flood water ran over these banana plantations when Talpan river overflew a one month ago.

"Gobar Gas" in waters!

There plants barely survived...

Talpan river has changed the course of its flow via paddy fields. This is one example in Avem, Khotigao. Only month ago it was a green paddy fields..

The spirit of Canacona people: they afford a smile despite the flood tragedy... salute to them.

Food, clothing, shelter washed away of this family in Monem, Khotigao. Lunch in make shift arrangements...

Household utensils shifted out of house as the house found flood water entered inside.

Flood did not care for two wheelers either. Here is a scooter that got split in two parts....

House damaged due to floods in Dabel, Poinguinim...









Sebastian Rodrigues

One month after Canacona floods...

From 2nd to 3rd October 2009 Canacona got submerged into terrific floods. Here are some pictures by Devidas Gaonkar who moved across the Canacona to capture some valuable images on his camera.

Margao-Karwar highway NH 17 was taken over by water...


Coconut trees was washed away, this particular one withstood the floods though it exposed its roots before the ferocious water.

Agriculture was severely affected as the water made its way from the middle of paddy fields.

The solo survivor in the middle of flood washed coconut groves...

Talpan river changed its course via paddy fields in Baddem, Khotigao...

Tamonemol locality in Khotigao was transformed into island by flood waters. Picture shows rescue operations in progress...

This banana plantation washed out in Baddem, Khotigao. One solitary banana tree remains as a memory of what the land was like before the floods...

Plastic barrels and gallons used to as temporary ferry to fetch people from Tamonemol, Khotigao trapped on land surrounded by flood water. Canacona Mamlatdar Vinayak Volvoikar is seen supervising the operations...

Floods did not tolerate concrete roads too. It washed them away. This picture is from Baddem, Khotigao.

Talpapona river overflowing in Baddem. The water level increased by one meter above the river capacity as result it flowed into the agricultural fields on both sides of the river in the villages Kuskem, Yedda, Auli, Baddem, Avem, Monem, Dabel, Amonem, Sishevol, Partagal, Ardhafond, Bhatpal, Sadolxem, Mangan, Talpan and Mutal.


Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining trucks trails accident series in Quepem

The serious of accident involving mining truck reported in Quepem town on Thursday lead to traffic jam for over one and half hours which resulted in causing hardships to the public including school children.

The first accident involving mining truck that took place just opposite to Mamlatdar and Collector office. That while negotiating with the turn in front of collector building the mining truck bang into the wall of the adjacent garden.

The second accident that took place involving two mining truck took place near bridge. This resulted in traffic jam over one and half hours. There was a heavy rush of transportation of mining truck via Quepem town that after the line of mining truck reached up to Mother Tereza house Igramol which is around two kms distance.

The third accident involving mining truck was reported late in the evening near petrol pump in which a cyclist was knocked down by the truck. In the accident the cyclist suffered minor injuries.

One Sanjeev Borkar who is having a shop at Quepem informed that accident involving mining truck is a regular feature in Quepem town. “If constant accident and traffic jam took place than in the days to come the business in town will be badly affected.”

Another Shop Owner Evangelisto D’Costa informed that though the mining trucks pass by the side of the Assitant Director, Dy-Collector and mamlatdar office they does nothing to safeguard the safety of the public. Accusing the office of the Dy-Collector office D’Costa stated that the Dy-Collector office just pass order but does not bother whether they are implemented or not. “Are these order passed to keep them in show case or to pacify the agitators when they come on the road?” questioned D’Costa.

John Fernandes

Quepem town bridge cracks due to mining trucks overload

Taking cognizance of Report in newspaper - Herald 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.

John Fernandes

Mining trucks nuisance in Quepem

Tension rose high in Quepem town on October 27 2009 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 trucks. 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 discussion with the Dy-S.P. that to when the Dy-SP assured that his office will see that the mining truck are obeying all the rules and regulations. At the time of discussion the Dy-SP and his police officer present prevented a reported from taking the photos of the discussion. The agitators then allow the mining transport to ply.
That in spite of the assurance given by the Dy-SP the overloading and over-speeding of the mining truck via Quepem town continued unabated that to in presence of police officers deputed at Quepem town.

Later on the Dy-SP. Called the agitators namely Amol kanekar, Sanjeev Borkar, Evanjelisto D’Costa, Nandan Hegde, Sandeep Dessai, the mining contractor Ashok Naik and other in his office for a discussion.

When contacted Dy-SP. Rohidas Patre denied the charges leveled against the police and stated that the villagers did not blocked the mining truck but stated that the blocked was caused due to the occurrence of miner accident.

John Fernandes