Objection to the proposed Cavrem Devapan Dongor mine

From,
Shri John Fernandes,
Copelabhat, Deao,
Quepem-Goa.

Date: 25/4/2008

To,
The Chairman,
Goa State Pollution Control Board,
Dempo Tower,
EDC Plaza 1st Floor,
Panaji-Goa.


Sub: Objections to the Rapid Environment Impact Assessment and management Plan Report of Devapan Dongor Iron & Manganese Ore Mine of Shri Shaikh Salaim T.C. No.01/1951.

Sir,

With reference to your notice dated 6/3/2008 and corrigendum dated 7/3/2008 publish in local daily Sunaparant notifying a public hearing and inviting Objection for the renewal of lease to the Devapan Dongor Iron & Manganese Ore Mine of Shri Shaikh Salim T.C. No.01/1951 Village Cavrem of Quepem Taluka, I hereby file my objections to the Rapid Environment Impact Assessment and management Plan Report submitted by the Mine owner on the following ground.

1. That the Rapid Environment Impact Assessment and management Plan Report submitted by the company is false, distorted, fabricated , suppresses vital and important information, hence the report requires to be rejected and the application for renewal of lease required to be dismissed.
2. The undersigned state that no mining activity can leads to sustainable development as any activity which does not secure the need of the future generation cannot be termed as sustainable development. Mining Industry / activity does not guarantees the needs of future generation, hence the development done by mining industry cannot be termed as sustainable development as mentioned in the REIA report on page 10.
3. That mining is not the backbone of Goa’s Economy as mentioned on pg. 2.1 of REIA report , that presently the way the mining is going on, a day will come the mining industry which we falsely claims to be Goa’s backbone will break our backbone. Which will come to reality after about 5 to 10 years. That most of the Mining activities from Goa will end by another 10 to 15 years, along with it, it will destroy our water bodies, forest, agriculture etc.
4. The Rapid Environment Impact Assessment and management Plan Report submitted by the company gives false and distorted information . On page 5 of the report, it says that the there is no S.T. population in the buffer zone which is totally false , as 80% of the population in the buffer zone is Tribal population. In village Cavrem itself where the mine is propose, as per the survey conducted by the OBC Corporation in 2003, the ST Population in the village is 699 out of the total 777 which forms 90% of the Cavrem village population.
5. The report of pg.1.2 and on pg.7.2 says that that there is not historical or archeological monuments within the 10 kms of the area which is also false and distorted as the protected/archeological site at Ponsamol Colomba are at a distance of 7 kms from the mine site so also the Rivona Pandova caves are at a distance of 5 kms from the proposed mine.
6. The report on pg.8.1 mentions that there are no endangered species in the propose mine which is a patent lie as the area where the mine is proposed is a home of protected species like Peacock, leopards, bison etc which names have been purposely omitted from the list of animals/bird mentioned on pg.3.13 of the report.
7. The report on pg. 4.14 says that the total Mining Lease area is private land which is also a patent lie as vast track of government land also comes within the mining lease area. That survey No.19 of Cavrem village which forms part of the mining lease (as per the report ) and which is having a area of 26,57,775 sq.mts belong to Government of Goa .The entire survey holding is covered with thick forest .
8. The proposed mine will destroy the natural resources of water of the village. There are four natural springs and a perennial Nala’s which originates from the Devapan Dongor. If the proposed mine is given license to operate than it will destroy these water bodies . It will also destroy the religious place of the tribal which are there on the Devapan Dongor like the Kashpurish Dev, Vezentari Devasthan.
9. That where the mine is proposed, the entire area is covered under thick forest, there are also number of medicinal plants which are used by the Tribals of that Cavrem village as herbs , the proposed mine will destroy the forest and the medicinal plants from the core zone also from the surrounding area as dust from the proposed mine will spread upto 2 kms as mentioned on pg. 5 of the report.
10. The proposed mine site area is a mountain having a radiant of 40 mts slop, at the bottom of which there are residential houses of the tribal, below which there are paddy field. The proposed mine which is on the top of the mountain will destroy the entire villager and their agriculture in the years to come as mentioned on pg. 5 of the said report. The mine will destroy the age old economy of the village.
11. The proposed mine as it is situated on the mountain will destroy the vast track of agricultural land due to wash off/runoff as mentioned on pg.8 of the report. More over the report claims that agricultural area also come within the mining lease area. That sy.No.10/1, 10/2 , 10/3, 10/4 10/5, 14/1, 13/2 ,13/4 are exclusively paddy land.
12. That as per the survey records there are number of residential house in the proposed mining area (core zone ) report does not say anything about this. On the contrary on pg.4.12 the report says that “ there are no human settlements within the mine lease area hence no resettlement is involved,” which is totally false and distorted. Moreover there is a primary school in survey No.11/2 which survey holding according to the notice issued by GPCB forms part of the leased area.
13. The proposed mining activity will not be positive impact on consumption behavior of the villagers as mentioned on pg.7.1 of the report but there will negative impact on consumtion of the people due to diseases like Silicosis, asthma diseases as mentioned on pg.4.17 of the report. The consumption of hot drinks will certainly increase in the village due to dust pollution which will have adverse impact on the village.
14. In view of above the Rapid Environment Impact Assessment and management Plan Report submitted by the Mine owner Shri Shaikh Salim in respect of Devapan Dongor iron and Manganese Ore Mine be rejected and the mine owner be directed to file a fresh report.
    

Yours Faithfully

sd/-

( John Fernandes )