Goa Mining affected People’s Manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections 2009

Open cast Iron Ore, Manganese and Bauxite is Goa’s number one enemy. Goa’s water bodies have been major casualty in the process of mining. The consequences are very grave for the present and future generations of Goa especially to its water bodies like wells, lakes, springs, rivulets, ponds and even rivers. Water is life that we stand to defend from mining industry scientific or otherwise, legal as well as illegal. Direct attack on water by mining industry has led to sharp shortage of water for drinking purpose, industry, tourism and agriculture. Mining silt in agricultural lands coupled with depletion of ground water has created acute food insecurity in Goa. Majestic Western Ghats Mountains are being dug and sold for thousands of crores every year to China, Japan and other countries of the World. Goa is going through ecologically humiliating phase due to mining that is benefiting few mining companies in huge manner creating huge accumulation of wealth in their possession. Large number of villages in Goa has been transformed from fertile water surplus into water deficient, water dependent silted and infertile villages due to large scale pumping out of water by private mining companies thereby increasingly depleting its ground water table. This is not short of Goa’s great plunder leading towards catastrophe. Those who are opposing it are beaten up, branded ‘Naxalites’ slapped with defamation suits in far away courts such as Calcutta High Court and Police cases including attempt to murder criminal cases and prosecuted. In order to deal with the menacing mining industry in Goa the citizen’s initiative composed of people affected directly by mining in Goa – Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) proposes following manifesto to the Political Parties and to the Public to debate and rescue the future of Goa that is currently held ransom by the mining industry.

1. Comprehensive review of all the mining leases in Goa. 1/4th of Goa that is 67,822 hectares of land is under mining leases that were granted by Portuguese Colonial regime from 1929 to 1959. Since then population of Goa has increased by three times. Complete feasibility on mining in Goa must be undertaken immediately.
2. Closedown of mining in Goa in phased manner beginning with eco-sensitive zones like forests, agriculture, horticulture, people’s habitats, lakes, springs, ponds, rivers, wells and all other variety of water bodies, dams etc.
3. Termination of mining leases where people are protesting due to its ill effects: Advalpal, Colamb, Rivona, Sirgao, Morpilla, Khola, Cudnem, Pali, Bicholim, Sattari, Surla, Mayem, Cavrem, Maina, Sulcorna, Sarvan, Korgao etc.
4. Termination of mining leases in Watershed areas of Goa.
5. Termination of mining leases in catchment areas of major dams supplying water for drinking, irrigation and industry i.e Selaulim, Opa and Assanora.
6. Termination of mining leases in the Western Ghats forests i.e. Sanctuaries, Protected areas and its buffer zones, Government Forests and Private forests.
7. Termination of mining leases in tribal and other people’s habitat villages.
8. Cancellation of all the Environmental Clearances by Ministry of Environment and Forest, New Delhi.
9. Abolition of private ownership in Goa’s mining sector.
10. Confiscation of wealth accumulated by mining companies over the past 50 years.
11. Creation of Special fund from the confiscated wealth from mining companies towards restoration of settlements with dignity in areas where mining leases in operations has been terminated. This fund also to provide rehabilitation to mining worker after closure of the mines in greater interest of Goa, its water and its future generations.
12. Withdrawal of all the police cases against those opposing mining industry in Goa.
13. Comprehensive ecological auditing of mining industry in Goa for its performance over the past 50 years.
14. Monthly Action Taken Report (ATR) by the Members of Parliament from Goa to be made available to Public and Press in Goa detailing the progress made in implementation of the above points.

Sebastian Rodrigues
Convenor