Mining companies has staged comprehensive coup in Goa. The most glaring example of this fact is supplied through the past two days of relentless ore transportation going on in zero kilometer buffer zone of the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhati village of Sanguem taluka in the survey numbers 11/0 and 24/0.
The department of Mines and Geology actually carried on the raid on this site and even sealed the machinery on April 16, 2010. The transportation of ore then had stopped. However after a fortnight things have changed. Transportation of ore resumed on May 03, 2010 with around 20 trucks plying on the site. This continued in a major part of the day on May 04, 2010 till young man Martin Fernandes who was to get married four days later was crushed to death under mining ore truck in Sanguem and public then closed all the roads for mining trucks. The roads are still closed for mining trucks today.
On May 04, 2010 Dilip Hegde, President of Goenchea Xetkaracho Ekvott (GXE) and myself - Sebastian Rodrigues, Convenor of Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) met up with Mr. Lolienkar, Director of Mines and Geology, in its Panjim office brought this issue to his notice. He was abrasive this time. He declared that mining transportation of ore is legal as Department is receiving royalty from the Chowgule Mining company.
When he was asked as to why it premises was raided on April 16, 2010 director had no satisfactory answer to offer. Obviously there is something very fishy in the whole episode and it needs some deeper probe.
But one thing that stand clear is that lot of brief cases has exchanged hands for something as brazen as this to take place over the past few weeks. Its time we visualize scenarios to free the state of Goa from the state of emergency imposed by mining companies. This can only be done by imposing state of emergency on mining companies. The change towards liberation will herald then.
In the meanwhile please write as many letters of protest to Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Environment and Forest, Government of India, New Delhi protesting the mining activities withing zero kilometer buffer zone of Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary. His e-mail is jairam54@gmail.com.
Sebastian Rodrigues
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Martin Fernandes owned mining truck and was crushed to death under mining truck carrying basalt stones and not iron ore as mentioned in the body of this post. Error is regretted and clarified here.
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