Lisa Noronha contributes Rs.1000/- towards fighting defamation case at Calcutta High Court

Lisa Noronha contributed Rs.1000/- towards fighting defamation case at Calcutta High Court against Sebastian Rodrigues by Goa's Fomento mining company. GAKUVED gratefully aknowledges her contribution as well as her good wishes.

Colamb Agriculture suffer due to mining

Agriculture in Colamb village in Sanguem, Goa has been negatively affected due to mining activities in the village. In the picture is Shirputo Velip from Colamb whose fields are badly affected due to mining.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining silt dumped in Colamb's traditional water pathway

This mud dumped in the traditional water way in Colamb from the nearby mine.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Goa's hinterlands thirsty for water

Mining companies supply water to Pissurlem villagers after their wells ran dry due to mining.

Our future generations are groomed with dry wells. This is indeed unacceptable reality. People are paid in cash to keep silent on the biggest tragedy of post liberation Goa.

One more dry well of Pissurlem village documented by TV channel CNN-IBN in May 2008.

In spite of natural water tanks in the form of Western Ghats mountains, Goa's hinterlands are thirsty for water. Every drop of water counts. In villages like Pissulem in Sattari taluka communities are forced into water dependency on mining companies.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Recollecting Tollem Mine Disaster

Several people were killed in Tollem Mine disaster on December 09, 2006 landslide. How Many more lives to be consumed by mining industry in Goa?

Sebastian Rodrigues

Sulcorna under mining attack

Sulcorna is faced with mining menace. It was very green and picnickers delight once upon a time. (The pictures in this post are from Philip Neri de Souza.)

How much more we need to sacrifice to mining industry? Every mountain? Every water body?

Sebastian Rodrigues

Abadoned mine at Uguem, Sanguem

This is a state of abandoned mine at Uguem, Sanguem. It is just left as it is while the mining companies have made up their money, huge craters are left at the mercy of nature. It says so much for much talked about reclamation of land after the mining is over. The policy of mining companies in Goa has been 'loot and run'.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining inside Selaulim Dam reservoir

Goa's main supply of water - Selaulim dam is threatened by mining. This dam supplies water to large parts of South Goa including to the cities of Margao and Vasco.

Sebastian Rodrigues

When Kushavati turned turbid...

This is the picture of Kushavati river when it turned turbid due to release of large scale silt from the mines in Quepem and Sanguem Talukas. Should we as people of Goa leave our rivers at the mercy of mining industry to be tormented, molested and polluted?

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining silt flows into paddy fields and rivers

Leading mining silt into agricultural paddy fields and into the rivers...

Dig, dig deep well, and yet no water in mining belt

What it means to dig a well in mining belt?

Kushali tried to di one in his village of Muscavrem, Sanguem, Goa.

This is a story of Kushali from Goa's Sanguem Taluka. His wells ran dry after mining company put up mining project in his village of Muscauvrem. His village well gradually ran dry. He tried to dig another well with the support of his sons and relatives. But then water was no where to be found. He says this has happened for the first time his life time - water of his well has gone dry. (Pictures by Philip Neri de Souza)

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining Goa's mountains

Goa's majestic mountains from western ghats are under severe threat from mining companies. This picture shows mining activities on the top of the mountain in South Goa's Quepem Taluka.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Corca River threatened due to mining

Corca river in Sanguem is badly threatened due to mining.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining inside Forest in Goa

Goa's Forest are at the receiving end of the mining corporations. Goa's Forest department is as good as non existing when it comes to monitoring mining intrusion in Forest areas. This particular picture is from Maina, Quepem, Goa.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Its only chaffs, agriculture suffering due to mining

Agriculture is badly suffering due to mining. (Above Picture by Philip Neri de Souza)


Mining is creating a nonsustaining society, starved of food generation landscapes.

Sebastian Rodrigues

At the Mandovi Mouth: Barge blockade

Barges are unable to move any further in Mandovi. Mouth of Mandovi is silted due to mining rejects into it.


Who cares for the Mandovi? Do You? Miners Don't.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Loading Ore to China, Polluting Rivers of Goa

This picture shows the coulour of Mandovi's turbid water near Surla ore loading point. Why should rivers of Goa suffer due to mining trade? Has any one any answers?

Sebastian Rodrigues

Are Loading point not violate CRZ laws?

Scores of loading points on the banks of Mandovi and Zuari rivers don't violate CRZ rules?

Sebastian Rodrigues

Sesa Goa's graphite particles to surrounding villages

Vedanta owned Sesa Goa Pig iron Ore Plant very close to Mandovi river at Amona, Bicholim spreads its graphite particles to the neighboring villages as well as far away villages like Betki in Ponda Taluka.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Mining as major traffick hazard

Mining trucks transporting Ore posses major danger to the road transport in Goa.

School children crossing the roads are amongst vulnerable population of our society due to reckless driving of mining trucks on public roads.

Private mining trade on public road in Bicholim. It is a perennially congested with lined up trucks carrying ore towards loading points on the banks of Mandovi.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Opa Water Works faces mining threat

At least 5 minng companies are releasing silt into the Opa Water Works irrigation project that supplies water to Tiswadi and Ponda Talukas.

This is silted Khndepar River. What do say about its colour? Howzzat???!!!

Our taps carry water from this river.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Once there was a temple here in Lamgao!

According to information provided by Ramesh Gauns once upon a time there used to be temple dedicated to Mahatrai diety at the above picture captured on the banks of Lamgao Lake in Lamgao, Bicholim. But it has gone under mining silt dumped by Dempo Mining Company.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Goa's flowering mining slurry

Mining slurry in Goa's mines posses major threats to the surroundings. It is destroying our rivers and our agricultural lands.

Threatened Mulgao Lakes

Mining Companies has imprisoned Mulgao Lake


It is imprisoned and polluted to the core.

This man from Mulgao is witness to all the destruction to three beautiful village lakes. All the three Mulgao Lakes are threatened due to mining.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Water as major casualty of mining

Water is a major casualty of open cast mining in Goa. Goa is moving towards desertification due to continues onslaught of mining industry. If things goes on at the present pace then next 5 years Goa will suffer all round degradation of various services and occupations related to water. Government is turning blind eye to this industry even today. The above picture shows Dempos water tanker filling the pumped water for undisclosed purpose.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Pilgaon's threatened Forests

Mining activities are threatening to gallop the forest cover in Mathwada, Pilgaon, Bicholim.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Bicholim's water bodies threatened due to mining

Large number of water bodies in Bicholim are drying up. According to Ramesh Gauns, an award winning teacher from Bicholim mining activities has gone very deep inside the ground and it causing water dependency to the Bicholim people. The above picture is of mine at Bordem, Bicholim that shows water pumps inside the mining Dempo mining pit pumping out ground water.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Assanora River threatened due to mining

One of the important tributaries of Mandovi river - Assanora river is threatened due to mining activities on its banks in Sirgao village. The company that is carrying on this is Dempo Mining Corporation.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Goa's Kulagars thirsting for water

Goa's famed Kulagars are thirsting for water due to deepened mines all over Goa. Hosts spices and butternuts as their main crops. Their original cultivators are tribal people. Even now tribal people are their main cultivators. They however do not posses land titles to these due to mischiefs done to land records by the powerful sections of society and ownership rights transferred to their names. Tribal people work largely as labourers in these plantations.

Sebastian Rodrigues

State of soil when mining silt invades

You can judge for yourself! This picture is from TERI report of 1997. Soil loses its fertility and then cracks as shown in the picture. Agriculture is deliberately ruined by mining industry in Goa.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Watershed Map of Goa

Goa is divided into six watershed zones. Of which four are negatively affected due to mining activities. (The above Watershed Map of Goa is sourced from "Fish Curry and Rice", a book edited by Claude Alvares and published by Mapusa based Goa Foundation).

Sebastian Rodrigues

People, Not Profit!

Mass of Goa's people depend upon agriculture while the entire mining industry is depend upon these agricultural lands and also forest lands to reap huge profit. Here is the slogan in the middle of the struggle : People, Not Profit!

Keri's troubled Tamba Mines

Ramesh Gauns posing inside Tamba mines in Keri village of Ponda Taluka. This mine belongs to one Tamba from Panjim and is being opposed by the villagers as their water bodies has dried up and blasting of mines has caused dangerous cracks to the houses of the villagers - specially the Amadi part of Keri village.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Dhangars stake in Keri SEZ land

This is Dhaku Kavlekar, a Dhangar whose tribe has been using the Bhutkamb plateau for goat raring for several decades. This plateu in Goa's Keri village in Ponda village is in the middle of storm over the past two decades - first with Nylon 6,6 wanting to grab the land now SEZ promoters. These pictures below is glimpse of Dhangar life reality and relation with the Bhutkhamb plateau.

Goats are reared by Dhangars in this locality and taken for grazing at Bhutkhamb.

Women are integral part of goat grazing activity.

Plateau is covered in barbed wire by Special Economic Zones (SEZ) promoters.

Yet after the valiant fight back from the villagers, Dhangars retained their rights over the grazing land.

Goat grazing is over for the evening...

Mountainous topography makes very good site for goat grazing by Dhangars.

Sebastian Rodrigues