Tribes protest Panchwadi Sesa Goa mining road project

The ST community of Panchwadi along with other residents held a meeting today morning at Mallar near vizar matt. The strong gathering was determined to stop the destruction of their pristine village by the govt and a mining company.

The meeting started with numerous speakers waiting to express their grievances and advice. Mr Cristev said that there exists a pathway, bullock cart track passing through survey nos 167,166,165,161,163,159,158,154,157 of village Panchwadi which these ST community are using to take their cattle for grazing, cashew plantation and for Kumeri cultivation.

The Goa government through the PWD is acquiring this road in the name of public purpose and handing out to Sesa Goa mining company for construction of mining road which will help the mining giant own a road private road from their mines to a jetty . This road is passing through the pristine village of Panchwadi and close to Moisal dam. The road which is illegal as there is no public purpose in it will destroy the ST community , pollute the Moisal dam which serves water to a large area beyond Panchwadi.

The dust and noise pollution which will arise due to this road will give innumerous trouble to entire panchwadi village and will even affect their health like the residents of Sanvorden and Quepem who suffer from tuberculosis and other diseases specially lung related.

The ST community and other villagers have decided to oppose any project that will destroy the environment of their village and will not hesitate to come on the road.

The people have earlier complained to all concern authorities but were all deaf with greasing palms.

The River Mandovi Cries for Help

Sanghmitra Mainkar, who's from the heavily mined area of Bicholim in Goa, reports how miners dump waste into the beautiful river Mandovi. Although this is illegal, it's being carried on in broad daylight, polluting main water supply channels to critical levels! click here for video.

Valvanti river for Vedanta?

River Valvanti at Sakhali, Goa is a proposed site for Bandhara for providing water to pig iron plant at Amona. Water from this river is also pumped to use at Virdi mines pit of Sesa Goa that it showcases to the world as its best mining practices.

This is the spot from where water is going to be pumped out by constructing 5 meter high BandharaThe place locally locally known as “Makar Sheno”.

River contains fresh water and is one of the important tributaries of Mandovi river.

Sesa Goa's pipeline leading towards virdi mines. Security check post is also of Sesa Goa.

River is surrounded by lush greenery on its banks.

It is ecologically very important in nature.

Water for Vedanta v/s water for people of Goa. Battle lines are increasingly getting demarcated.

A view of Valvanti river.

Mandovi injured by mining companies' loading points

In a case of violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Mandovi river is perturbed by around 40 loading points on its banks. Miners use this river as a medium of transportation of Ore towards Marmagoa Harbour for export purpose. This Picture is from Kathombi, Bicholim.

Iron Ore stocked on banks of Mandovi in Sattari

Another case of violations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) as Huge quantity of Iron Ore is stored and covered under blue plastic material on the banks of Mandovi at Vagurme village in Sattari Taluka.

Vedanta's violation of CRZ

This Pig Iron Ore plant on the banks of Mandovi River at Amona, Bicholim is giant violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). This was brought to the notice of Union Minister of Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh when he visited Goa for the conduct of Public Hearing on CRZ on August 30, 3009. He on the spot publicly directed Goa State government to set up Goa State Coastal Zone Management Authority within 24 hours and take cognizance of this violation and other like like this. It is not yet know if the State government has complied with the directives of the Union Minister.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Carmen Miranda with pictures of diversion of Mahadayi River: work in progress

Dear friends,

Soon after our Western Ghats meeting in Goa last February, I had the opportunity to visit the canal work being done in Karnataka, to divert the waters from the river Mahadeyi from Goa. I was shocked to see the size of the operation - it is a huge canal, but it has not yet connected to the river. However there is already a lot of water in this unfinished canal so I presume they have already dug down to the water table in vast areas, as shown on the attached photo. If this diversion is allowed to go ahead, Goa doesn't stand a chance of getting much water from this river in the future. I hope Goa does not end up high and dry!

Carmen Miranda in e-mail to e-group western-ghats@googlegroups.com on March 09, 2009.

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

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

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

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

Diversion of Kalsa-Bhandura (Mahadayi /Mandovi) River Completed

River diversion project on the border of Karnataka-Goa

December 11, 2008

1. Karnataka has successfully diverted the west flowing Kalsa (Mahadayi) river into east flowing Malaprabha River.

2. River originates in Western Ghats on Karnataka – Goa border but flows down into Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa. It is not only lifeline of the Goa but also supports precious wildlife of sanctuary. Hence it won't be flowing into Goa now but into Karnataka.

3. Work of diversion of river in Karnataka was going on at very fast pace in violation of Wildlife Protection Act & Forest Conservation Act.

4. Though there are number of pending suits in Supreme Court by Govt of Goa & environmentalists from Goa & Karnataka work has continued.

5. It is one of saddest story for small state of Goa & it people in the Western Ghats…..how bigger state has forcefully stopped the river which was life line for Goa.


Shrihari Kugaji, Paryavarani Belgaum
shrihari30@gmail.com,
paryavarani@gmail.com

Save Mandovi! Save Zuari!!

Mining companies have intensified their hold over Goa's river network. Here are few pictures of how it is being done over Mandovi river that flow in North Goa. According to S. Sridhar, Executive director of Goa Mineral Exporters Association Goa has exported 40 million tonnes of ore over the period of nine months in a year. He has been quoted in Gomantak Times 20 July 2008 in an article by Nilesh Khandeparkar along with some more statistics.

All this transportation of ore is carried out through the barges in Mandovi and Zuari Rivers of Goa. This is the state of rivers in the monsoon of 2008 when the mining rejects and stored ore gets washed up into the river. These pictures are of Mandovi river in North Goa. The river is in the state of high level of turbidity as can be seen from the reddish colour of its water.

264 barges that ply in our rivers in Goa makes anywhere between between 15-20 trips per month from their various loading points on the river banks up to MPT port in Vasco or at Panjim port.
The cost of each barge without ore ranges between Rs. 2 - 2.5 crores
If all the ore that gets transported had to be carried on in trucks from the roads then it would mean trucks had to make 33 lakh trips in nine months!
That would amount to 4 lakh trips per month!
And 14,000 trucks per day!

Each barge carries up to 1,000 tonnes of ore!
Now based on these statistics lets calculate further the economics of Iron Ore and Manganese trade in Goa: According to calculations based on minimum cost of Iron Ore in an international market to China costs Rs. 8,000/- per tonne, each truck that ply on road in Goa costs Rs. 80,000/- as each truck carries ten tonne of ore.
The cost of ore that goes in each smallest full capacity barge of 1000 tonnes from Mandovi and Zuari is Rs. 80,00,000/- (Rupees Eighty Lakh) per trip! The bigger barge of 2000 tonnes fetches Rs. 2,00,00,000/- (Rupees Two crores) each!
Sesa Goa plant on the banks of Mandovi in Amona village in Bicholim taluka. No wonder companies like these benefit hugely from loot of the Goan soil.
Now we know why miners fume when protests voices are rising, their crores are at stake.

To continue crores of earning for the few companies we in Goa are sacrificing our bloodlines, our veins of life - Mandovi and Zuari rivers with all their tributaries. The above picture is of Dempo mining activity on the banks of Mandovi in Sarmanas, Bicholim.
This picture is at Sarmanas, Bicholim, Goa taken on July 1st 2008
This is a turbid Mandovi banks of Zuem also know as St. Estavam.
This ferry in turbid waters at the coast of Marcela coast of Ponda taluka.
This is a turbid Mandovi tributery separating Marcela, Ponda and Zuem Island, Tiswadi.

Mandovi is turbid red because of mining as well as because of transportation of Ore.

It is time we stand to defend our rivers, in fact liberate our rivers from the clutches of multi crore business tycoons from Goa and abroad.

Save Mandovi! Save Zuari!!

Sebastian Rodrigues with creative support from Ramesh Gauns and Kurund Gauns in Bicholim, Goa.