Thursday, October 28, 2010

Revoke Forest Clearances, Environment Clearances to Goa mines

Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) demands the immediate revocation of all the Forest Clearances and Environmental clearances given to various mining leases in Goa.

The permissions granted by Ministry of Environment and Forest, New Delhi are hostile to the ecology as well as to the traditional economies of people and are based on false data presented in EIA reports. GOAMAP condemns the government decision to divert nearly 1282 hectares of forest land in Goa to mining companies during the last 5 years.

GOAMAP considers this a scandal and calls upon government of India to act decisively and cancel all the mining leases in Goa. The glaring example is the case of Borga Iron Ore mine at Rivona where in out of 71 hectares of the lease 66 hectares is forest that has been granted Forest Clearance by government authorities.

GOAMAP specially urges Minister of Environment and Forest, Government of India Jairam Ramesh to initiate measure and crack down on mining in Goa just the way he acted in case of Niyamgiri mines in Orissa.

Mining industry has been over running the state of Goa with high level political nexus and ruining the state of Goa everyday of its existence. Far more strict steps are necessary even though moratorium is in force on new mining leases; Operations of the existing mines are creating havoc. This is evident from the current unrest amongst people of Goa against mining industry.

In case Government of India failed to act and stop mines in Goa, situation will go out of hands with unpredictable consequences.

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