Maina, Quepem under mining threats

These are the hills in Maina, Quepem that borders between Quepem and Canacona (Cotigao Wild Life Sanctuary) and are threatened by twin mining leases of Shantilal K. & Brothers Ltd - Zolaracho Dongor leases numbers 44/51 with the area of 61.354 hectares of land covering survey numbers 24, 25, 27 to 32, 39, 40, 64. This mine is already in operation even though its Public Hearing was held only on 21st June 2008. Salgaoncars and Joaquim Alemao, Cuncolim MLA is involved in disappearing of these forests.

The Second mining lease no is T.C. No. 09/53 covering survey numbers 23, 24, 40-45, and 51, Lease of Shantilal K. & Brothers Ltd. named MatnePan - e- Satarkaranchi iron Ore mine (23 hectares) that is in geographic continuity to the first one thus extending area under mining to nearly 85 hectares of land mostly verdant Western Ghats Forests that is sought to be slaughtered for the purpose of exports to China and to provide raw material to global Steel Industry leaving Goa devastated forever. Here are the on the spot pictures of this magnificent Maina. We all need to unite to save it from terror of the mining companies at all costs.

Deforestation to promote mining has just begun.

This year these fields are still uncultivated: reason farmers are compensated and told by the mining companies to discontinue agriculture.

Traditional temples are to go under mining activities and the new temples that are constructed are too in the mining lease!

These magnificent forest are under mining threats

These western ghats forests are responsible for large supply of water to the People, industry and Tourism in Goa. These mountains are our water reservoirs and mining mining companies wants to turn them into craters of moon as they have done in Goa's villages of Mayem and Pissurlem in North Goa.

These houses of Maina People are going to be demolished to begin mining there

These are lush green Forests that are a target of the mining companies

Trees are cut down already, even before the Environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Delhi! its called jungle law by Sanvordem MLA Anil Salgaonacar- Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao nexus.

And destruction of Forest continues....

And more....

Roads in Forest are build at the will of the mining terror

This is where drilling was carried on to test the grade of ore. These mountains has high grade of iron Ore.

And More drilling here as the road leads us there...

Close up of drilling operations....

Another close up...

All roads to mining drilling sites...

View from under the drilling machine...sky is the limit to the lust of the mining companies.

Mining machinery everywhere, ready to pierce the earth at any moment

Symbol of things to come: Green to turn red at stroke of the bulldozers' sirens to earn foreign exchange and loose Goa forever and ever...

One more drilling machine, Maina Forest is full of drilling points.

All these is going on right in front of the officials from the Forest department. Department prefers to wait and watch till all the Forest of Goa is ravaged by the mining companies.

This huge tree is cut and lying on the banks of Corca river. This shows things to happen to the Forest and People here.

This is a flowing Corca river, a tributary of Kushavati river that ultimately joins Zuari river to connect with Arabian Sea.

Perhaps this is a last sugarcane plantation here before mining catastrophe strikes here in Maina, Quepem.

Diversity of machines at work in the forest...

Mining has already started changing colours, forest water is getting colours of silt here...

Forest here is full of perennial fresh water bodies, they will all dry up as mining invasion sets in Maina, Quepem Forests.

Another fresh water body; you can actually smell sulfur here!

Goverment invested 2 crores to put in place irrigation network like this. However with mining disruption on anvin: government schemes are directionless...It is undoing its earlier schemes

This is a drinking water supply suppored by governement investments...soon water in this will turn mining red

The mining leases has some beautiful green mountains habitat for numerous wildlife such as bisons and Hornbill besides diversity of medicinal plants...

Water gets channelized to the Corca river from springs in dense forest of Maina and Cavrem...

Sebastian Rodrigues