Opposition to Rivona's Chuninimol mine from villagers

The villagers of Shivsorem, Colomba and Rivona are gearing up to oppose the Chuninimola Iron ore mining lease under T.C. No.28/1952 owned by Shantilal Khusaldas Bros pvt. Ltd . public hearing of which is fixed on 18th June from 11.00 AM onward at Rivona V.K.S.S. Society Rivona Goa.

The villagers claims that the mine owner with their being any permission from the mining department or from Ministry of environment and Forest started operating the said mine since September 2007 which the mines department stopped late in the month of May 2008 . They claim the owner of the mine by illegally operating it has done extensive damage to the environment . The mine which is on the bank of Corca River a tributary of Kushawati River, the owner has dumped the mining reject on the bank of the said River. Even the boulders which were dumped over the rejection have landed into the Corca river thereby disturbing its water flow. As per the conditions to be laid at the time of issuing permission the mining reject has to be dumped at a distance of 100 mts. from the river. But in this case the mine owner has already violated that condition claims the villager. The villagers complains that if the mine is fully started it will destroyed the Corca and the Kushawati river.

Why the public hearing from the Goa Pollution control Board at this stage as by illegally operating the said mine the has already done extensive damage to the environment, how the owner of the be relied upon over the environment management plan submitted , when has already done the damage question the villagers. They claims that the hearing fixed on 18th June by the Goa Pollution Control Board has to be cancelled and the lease granted to the mine owner requires to be terminated.

The villagers claimed that major portion of the land which the owner claims to be having lease is a forest land. Even the Forest department raised cashew cultivation which fatches the government in lakhs per year . If the mine is permitted it will danger the Corka river, large scale forest land including cashew, and will endanger the life of over 800 adivasis residing at a distance of 50 mts from the mine.

The Rivona Panchayat GAKUVED unit president Shri Rama Velip has appealed to all Goans to present in large number on 18th June to oppose the mining lease and to save Goa from being further getting destroyed.

John Fernanades