Book review: Mazya Govyachea bhumit by Prabhakar Dhage

By John Fernandes,

Mazya Govyachya Bhumit” literary translation of which comes to “In My Goan Land” a book in Marathi language written by Pudhari local daily editor Shri Prabhakar Dhage which is compilation of thoughts pertaining to Goa, which the author presented in different chapter. Through the Book the author present different issues which are crucial and affects Goa.

In his first chapter “The Cuncolim Revolt” the author highlights that the Cuncolim Revolt which took place in 1583 is the first revolt against the European in the History of India. However he says that as the history is written by the rulers, there is no mentioned about the Cuncolim Revolt anywhere in the history of India. The authors says that it is a revolt to preserve the religious and Cultural identity of Goans.

Through the Chapter “problem of Emigration” the author says it result in change in social, Religious, Economic, cultural aspect of Goan Society. When both parents works abroad then it affect the family bond and directly affect the life of children.

In the chapter “Dudhsagar is danger” the author highlights that the existence of the world famous tourist spot of Goa Dudhsagar is in danger as there is a plan from the Karnataka Government to divert the water of Katla and Palona river to kali river which are the tributary of Dudhsagar . If Karnataka Government succeeds in its plan then the Dudhsagar will die once for all. The rampant cutting of trees by timber lobby, builder, railway contractor also endangers the water fall states the author further. The tourist or visitors who visits the Dudhsager are responsible for endangering the life of the Monkeys over their, as the monkey are provided with artificial food by the visitors such as biscuit, banana the monkey loss their habits of searching for food though the area is full of natural food for the monkey, as a result in the tourist off season the monkey dies of starvation.

In the chapter “The Baina Problem has really solved?” After the Baina demolition drive taken up by the then BJP government the prostitution problem did which Baina was facing did not solve but it aggravated as after the demolition, the prostitution concentrated at Baina spread different parts of Goa. The author says that Goa is known for its prostitution in reported by an Italian Voyager way back in 1666.

“Goan Sea getting rough” the author says tourist are attracted to Goa because of the beaches. The tourism department which promotes tourism for 365 days don’t have any concrete plan to protect Goan beaches. The rampant cutting of mangroves, marvels, release of hazardous waste from the industries and hotels, endangers the sea. If it continues the future of Goan beaches and seashore is in danger warns the author.

In the chapter “Police losing their credibility” the author says that the Goan police works as per the whims and fences of their political bosses. Citing the example of lifting Minister Philip Neri Rodrigues from the Assembly the author says due to political blessing the police ready to do any thing. Only those police have political backing are being promoted. The author further says that there is a nexus between real estate developer, politician, police , bureaucrats including those appointed from Delhi and other intellectual to sell Goa to outsiders for their selfish gains.

“ Goan Cherapunji is thirsty of development” This chapter starts with, still rural India is being ruled from the cities. The author terms Netraveli of Sanguem taluka is a Goan Cherapunji but is faces water problem during summer season. The problem of water which these area faces is due of mining that are going on in those area. There is wide scope for developing eco tourism, Nature club, krushi tourism, to generate sustainable development and employment opportunities to the local youth but the government is list bother about the same. The government is not bothered to develop ecotourism in those areas it want to promote mining. The author highlights how the mining companies who are all out to loot Goa make false propaganda that if mining stops people in mining areas will die out of starvation. Proving this propaganda to be false and misleading the author highlight that after the stop of mining in Netravali after its declaring as wild life sanctuary in 1999 the people residing there in are now living therein with more dignity then before when mining was going on.

There are also other chapters which deal with other vital issues affecting Goa and Goans. Those who know Marathi language should read this book.

Villagers of Tilamol Curchorem submitted memo to the Dy-Collector

The people likely to be affected by land Acquisition for Tilamol Cortali Road widening on Friday 30th July 2010 submitted a memorandum to the Dy-Collector Quepem opposing the acquisition of land to make the road 4 lane from Tilamol to Curchorem and from Curchorem to Sanguem Court.

It may be recalled that on 22/6/2010 government issued a notification for widening of Tilamol Sanguem road , that since then people are opposing the road widening of the road by conducting corner meetings abd by filling objection. That on Friday morning around 200 affected villagers of Tilamol, Cacora, Curchorem, Bansai, Cacumordi and other villagers gathered at the office of the Dy-Collector Quepem and later submitted a joint memorandum to the Dy-Collector demanding to withdraw the notification for land acquisition.

The memorandum stated the PWD before proposing to make the Tilamol Sanguem court road a four lane one no traffic survey has been done, as the existing road which has the capacity of 150 vehicles per hours is sufficient for another 15 years as the present traffic flow on the road is just 30 to 50 vehicles per hour.

The memorandum further states that under the garb of public cause the government is planning to widen the road for the benefit of the mining industry by spending 500 cr. Of public fund which is illegal and unjust.

That Curchorem is 5th most populated municipality of Goa with a population of 30,000. Kakoda health center and other two major hospital namely Dr. Sonu Kamat and Dr. Satish Kudchadkar are right on the road. Twelve schools with 6000 secondary and 3000 primary student commute on this road. No where in the world dirty cargo like iron or is hauled through the heart of such a town, not even in Bihar and Jharkand states that memorandum further.

That due to the acquisition immense losses will be cause to the houses, shops, compounds, trees, Crosses, Tulsi-Vrindavans and parking spaces will be affected. That agricultural land being acquired are tenanted and are under Command Area Development Authority , such land cannot be acquired. Mining transport is already affecting the public health, sanitation agriculture and horticulture widening the road to make way for 4 lane will aggravate the problems states the memorandum further.

That as the local self government namely the Xeldem panchayat and the Curchorem Cacora Municipal Council disapproved the widening project, the administrative approval for the road widening is illegal in view of 73rd and 74th amendment to the constitution.

That as the last date for filing the objection ends on 6th of August the affected villagers sought extension of time by another 15 days to file objection.

The Dy-Collector Agnelo Fernandes assured the villagers to look into matter and to do the needful.

John Fernandes

Tilamol, Curchorem gear up to oppose land aquisition for mining road

The villagers of Tilamol, Cacora, Curchorem and Bansai are gearing up to oppose the proposed acquisition of land for the road widening road from Tilamol to Curchorem. The government has on Saturday 1st of July issued a notification under section 4 of land acquisition act to acquire land to make the road from Tilamol to Curchroem a four lane for the benefit of mining tranport . The Dy-Collector of Quepem Shri Agnel Fernandes has been appointed as the land acquisition officer
The villager on Sunday 5th July had a meeting at Bansai near the cross to oppose the land acquisition and to make the people aware about its effect on the people residing on the side of the road. The villagers were came under the banner Ganv Rakhonn Jagrut Manch which was attended by over 500 villagers. Addressing the gathering Mr. Babu Prabhu Dessai stated if the road is for the benefit of the local people then the people will demolish their houses themselves but if the proposed acquisition is for the benefit of the mining lobby then they will not allow the acquisition.

The plan showing the land to be acquired for the widening the road is drawn on an survey plan which was not being updated for years and if the physical survey of the same is carried out then several houses will be demolished to make way for the road widening. Adv. Mahesh Kakodkar explained the gathered crowd the details about the proposed road widening and questioned the Government intensions in this process. He further said that the present road is enough for the normal traffic and the widening is not required by demolishing the houses of hundred people for no proper reason unless the Government has some hidden motive behind this move.

Mr. Christanand Pednekar said that recently there are numerous accidents on this road due to mining transport and if this widening becomes a reality then people will have to walk with their coffin in their hands expecting death any moment. He further said that a four lane road is not required for the normal traffic as the present road is adequate. He called on to the people to oppose this proposed road widening with all their might.

Mrs. Soccorina Goes said that people have been asking for a by-pass road for so long dedicated to mining activity which all authorities had promised but now it is evident that they were fooling the public. She said that she is confident that this widening is done to enable the mining lobby to transport the ore and not with the interest of the people. She warned that people will not take this step lying down but will agitate with all their might to stop this double intentional move of the Government.

Mr. Mafaldo Fernandes said that The Govt. should forget about the widening of the road like a bad dream and take up the work of the by-pass road if they want peace in the region and that they will never let the mining lobby succeed in this move of road widening.

Others who addressed the meeting includes Mr. Vinod Velgaonkar, Curchorem BJP president Mr. Pradeep Naik , Rajendra Kakodkar .

The villagers have decided to meet the Deputy Collector of Quepem Mr. Agnelo Fernandes who is appointed as acquisition officer and submit their grievances. They also decided to meet the Chief Minister over the issue. The villagers also decided that their demands are not met by the elected representatives then they decided to knock the doors of the court.

John Fernandes

‘Miners are arrogant... we are feeling hopeless’

Mining silt is damaging rice fields, water sources are drying up.
Villagers in Sanguem are a worried lot

Joaquim Fernandes | tnn


Sanguem, May 19, 2010: The fertile rice fields spread across 200 hectares in
Collme-Xethod in Collamb village of Sanguem taluka have sustained
generations of farmers. But now farmers say that silt flowing down
from the mines in the hills above are spoiling their fields. Mining is
also drying up the natural springs that once nurtured their fields.

“Zaitem xeth paddan assam. Udok nam tor baath kami, poll chod (Much of
the paddy has been spoilt. If there is no water, the grain is less,
the chaff is more),” says Rama Velip from Collamb-Rivona. Agriculture
is the mainstay for this 45-year-old and his four brothers and their
family of 17.

The Collme-Xethod stretch of fields is located at the foot of Gulkhond
Dongor, where mining is now on. From the base of Gulkhond Dongor, two
springs used to nurture the fields. While the one on the eastern side,
called Gollimoll, has already dried up, the other one on the west,
called Gogro (cascade), is gradually drying up, its torrent now
reduced to a trickle.

Rama insists that over 90% of the people in Collamb depend on
agriculture. “It is the best profession because all year long your get
free food. If not anything, there is at least rice congee to eat. But
the main thing is water. Without water, you can't sow. In the last
seven-eight years, water is reducing,” he says.

A narrow storm water drain separates the house of 60-year-old Pandhari
Mahadev Velip and the fields of Collme-Xethod. “Water used to flow in
this drain even in May because of the abundance of the Gogro spring.
Now this nullah is already dry in March,” says Pandhari.

As if the drying up of the natural springs was not enough, mining silt
has washed into the fields, damaging the crops of many farmers. Motesh
(Mathew) Antao is one of them.

Motesh's is the first field on the northern side of Collme-Xethod and
therefore closest to the mines. A crude wall of boulders now separates
his field from the red mining rejects of Gulkhond Dongor. Motesh's
nearly-one-acre field used to yield him 50 sacks of paddy. With a lot
of chaff this year, he is not sure of the yield. “Sanguem has the
maximum number of springs in Goa. If mining is allowed to destroy
those water sources, agriculture will die and will also kill us
eventually,” says Motesh.

Ironic that although Motesh criticizes mining, he ekes out a living as
a driver on a mining truck. “I don't like this job. Someday I hope to
buy my own taxi,” he says.

Asked why he does not avail of loans that are so easy now, he says
banks will not lend him money as there are seven police cases against
him. These cases had been foisted on him, Rama Velip and many others
by mining companies, he alleges.

Motesh continues, “The police harass us. They arrest us, make us sign
papers and slap cases on us. Then we have to make repeated trips to
courts. Their intention is to harass us into silence and eventually
into submission.”

Milagrina, Motesh's mother says, “The companies create divisions among
the villagers. Now there is lot of enmity among people. Earlier, we
used to collect firewood from the forest and our cattle used to graze
there. Now they don't allow us. We have sold all our cattle, save
two.”

If there are doubts about farmers' claims regarding the blight of
mining in Goa, the state government-appointed monitoring committee's
findings should put that to rest. The monitoring committee, headed by
the chief conservator of forests, has found violations in 54 of the
110 operational mining leases in Goa. Many of the 54 are in Sanguem .

Goa Foundation has obtained details of the violations in each lease
under the Right to Information Act. Said Claude Alvares of Goa
Foundation, “These violations were found only in the leases that the
committee visited. There are many other leases. We will make a
presentation to the ministry of environment and forests. If they don't
act within one month, then we will act.”

Alvares said most were forest violations. But a look at the monitoring
committe's reports showed that each lease had committed on an average
about five violations. These included not obtaining consent under
water act or air act, leases being adjacent to wildlife sanctuaries,
lack of clearances from environment, wildlife or standing committee
and, more importantly, “dumping done outside lease area”.

It is from these dumps that the silt runs into agricultural fields.
Sources in the agriculture department, on condition of anonymity,
admitted mining has affected farming in Sanguem. But they also say
that Sanguem is just beginning to feel the pinch whereas villages like
Cavrem-Pirla in neighbouring Quepem have already been badly hit.

Agriculture department sources said that during the last one year,
there have been about seven public hearings in Sanguem for new mines.
“About 90% of the people opposed the mines. Earlier, people used to
keep quiet for money. Now they want to preserve their land and do
agriculture,” sources said.

Mining and its accompanying ills dominate the Sanguem landscape. In
Shivsorem, 67-year-old Prabhakar Butto Gaonkar grows coconut, cashew,
arecanut, sugarcane and rice in his own fields. But a mining lease has
been issued for the area and the company is offering Gaonkar Rs 10
lakh for the land. The mine has started but the mining dumps have not
reached near Gaonkar's fields yet.

Gaonkar is quoting a steep price for his fields in order to dissuade
the company from buying. The mining company has not agreed yet.
Gaonkar's young daughter-in-law gets sentimental about the land: “The
field is all we have. If we sell the field, where will we go with our
small children?”

The cluster of houses around Gaonkar's house is nestled between two
operational mining leases. The water level in the well opposite
Gaonkar's house is precariously low. The village women nearby are sure
the well will go dry by April.

The women are angry that mining dust has ruined their agriculture.
After much fighting by Shivsorem residents, one mining company paid
the families Rs 10,000 per year as compensation. Another company paid
less.

Says Premavati Gaonkar, “Our sugarcane cultivation suffered because
our well dried up. What can we do with the land if there is no water?
The miners are arrogant and don't listen to anyone. The village
panchayat is not helping us. Last year, we agitated quite a lot. This
year, we are feeling hopeless.”

Times of India, 19 May 2010

Mining companies stage coup, mines Netravali Wildlife sanctuary buffer zone

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

Objections to lease renewal of Talaulicar mines, Darbandora

From: Shankar Raghunath Jog,

Margawadi, Sancordem,

Via TISKA, GOA. Pin: 403406

Phone No. [0832] 2611499 & 2611032.

e-mail: shankarjog@hotmail.com

Date: 24^th March, 2010.

Subject:

1. Objection for granting additional period of 2 years to M/s M. S. Talaulicar & Sons Pvt. Ltd., for removing of mining ore/rejection dumped in Forest land, in survey no. 23/1 of village Darbandora, taluka Sanguem, Goa.

2. Request to investigate irregularities committed by Forest authorities/staff, knowingly/unknowingly, in recommending/granting permission for removal of mining ore/rejects.

Reference::

1. Letter no. 4-GOB423/2007/1300 dated 27^th November, 2007 from Deputy Conservator of Forest (Central), Ministry of Environment & Forest, Regional Office [Southern zone], Bangalore, approving removal of ore/rejects, addressed to the Secretary [Forest], Govt. of Goa, Porvorim, Goa.

2. Application dated 7-1-2010 for granting additional period of 2 years to remove ore/rejects from survey no. 23/1 from M/s M.S.Talaulicar & Sons Pvt. Ltd. [represented by legal heirs]

To,

1. The Secretary,

Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India,

Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO complex, Lodhi Road,

New Delhi – 110 003.

2. The Chief Conservator of Forests, Regional Office [South Zone],

Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India,

Kendriya Sadan, 4^th Floor, E&F Wings, 17^th Main Road,

Bangalore – 560 034.

3. The Chief Conservator of Forests, Govt. of Goa,

Maratha Samaj Building, Swami Vivekanand Road,

Panaji, Goa. – 403 001.

4. The Secretary (Forest), Govt. of Goa,

Secretariat, Porvorim Goa.

Sir,

In the above context, I have to bring to your kind notice as follows:

1. In accordance with Lease Deed dated 11-7-1979 between M/s M.S.Talaulicar & Sons Pvt. Ltd., [presently represented by legal heirs and hereinafter called the “lessee”] and the President of India [represented by Collector of Goa and hereinafter called “lesser”], a plot admeasuring 12.9768 Ha. was leased for five years for dumping mining rejections. This plot falls in Survey No. 23/1 of village Darbandora, Taluka Sanguem, Goa.

2. The lessee had dumped rejection in this plot, probably during the tenure of this lease. In the concerned file made available to the undersigned,

a) No record of total quantity or dump wise quantity of rejection dumped is available with the authorities.

b) No plan of this plot and dumps made there, drawn during the tenure of lease, is available with the authorities.

c) No record of any activity by the lessee in this plot for last 25 years [from 1984 to 2009] is available with the authorities.

3. The lease was for period of 5 years, ended in 1984, and hence is not subsisting presently.

4. The lessee, by letter dated 1-10-2007 addressed to the Secretary, Ministry of Forests, Govt. of Goa, requested permission for removal of this rejection for upgrading to saleable grade ore, for the purpose of generation of employment, revenue to the State Exchequer, earn foreign exchange, etc.

5. Within a very short period of less than 2 months, permission was issued by the Dy. Conservator of Forest (Central), Ministry of E & O. Bangalore. The speed is remarkable, not witnessed in other cases even of public importance, which suggests vested interest of those concerned.

6. As witnessed by the undersigned, who resides close to this site, the ore/rejects were removed by the lessee during the months of October, November and December, 2009. No removal was done during year 2008 or January-September, 2009.

7. Under their letters dated 5-1-10 and 7-1-10, the lessee requested to extend the time limit for removal of reject for further period of 2 years beyond given time-limit, which ended on 4-1-2010.

8. In accordance with a note issued by Dy. Conservator of Forest, and submitted to Conservator of Forest, C. C. F. and Secretary (Forest), all of Govt. of Goa, F(C) Act is applicable in this case, and hence, extension can only be granted by Central Govt.

Further, it is the submission of the undersigned that:

9. In this case, Environmental Clearance is required, in accordance with Notification no. S.O. 1533 dated 14-9-2006 as the lease area is more than 5 Ha.

10. Showing a dump occupying 4.9 Ha. is arbitrary. In fact, this is done to avoid/circumvent provisions EIA notification referred above. In the original request dated 1-10-2007, the lessee had shown dump area as 0.64 Ha., 4.14 Ha. & 5.91 Ha. Subsequently, the lessee under Form – “A”, Part – 1, changed this to 4.91 Ha. to avoid/circumvent requirement of Environmental Clearance.

11. The lease area of 12.9768 Ha. has to be considered, if at all it can be considered for removal of rejection, legally. Considering the area in parts is arbitrary and done to give undue advantage to the lessee which shows vested interest of those concerned.

12. There is no provision in the Lease Deed, to allow removal of rejection dumped.

13. After such a long period of more than 25 years, the lessee cannot claim ownership of dumped rejects legally and the Lease Deed has no provision to this effect and hence, it is a Govt. Property. Therefore, total value of removed rejects/ore should be deposited in Govt. treasury.

14. The lessee, in Form A referred above, has shown the quantity for removal as 50,000 tons. This is arbitrary as there is no record to show that this is correct. In fact, the undersigned has witnessed removal and transportation of ore/reject to the barge-loading point at Vagus (V.P.Palem, Goa), to the tune of 2,50,000 tons approximately.

15. The lessee claims that only 30% rejects is removed and 70% rejects is still lying there in this dump However, the fact is that only 5% reject is still lying there and 95% rejects are removed. . This can be verified by proper independent technical person at the site. The undersigned also has photos and videos taken on 10-03-2010, soft copies of which can be made available to any authority. Barring a few places, the original ground has reached which is also excavated.

16. As rightly noted by the Dy. Conservative of Forest, Monitoring & Evaluation [Goa Govt,], in his note dated 25-2-2010, “this seems this is the only case where the ore rejects/dumps was allowed for keeping/dumping in Forest area outside the lease and was permitted to be removed”. One can easily imagine the cause of this unusual approval.

17. This survey no.23/1 forms part of Proposed Reserve Forest notified under Section 4 of Indian Forest Act, 1927 vide Notification No. 6-4-81-FOR dated 5.6.1981 published in Govt. Gazette, Series III, No. 31 dated 29.10.1981.

18. The lessee has not demarcated the plot with cement concrete pillars, as per condition imposed while giving permission for removal of rejects.

19. The Dy. Conservator of Forest, Ponda, Goa, under his letter no. 5/FCA-101/FEJ/DUMP/COL/DCFN/TECH/2007-08 dated 9/10/2007 has stated that :

a) Area consists of artificially planted (mainly) Acacia & Cashew. If this area is planted artificially [apparently by no other than Forest Dept.], then how it is that the lessee claims that this area is devoid of any trees and barren ?

b) The forest area proposed for removal of rejects has been demarcated on the ground and the proponent has enclosed a detailed plan. However, no area is demarcated as seen and photographed by the undersigned on 10-3-2010.

20. All the trees are now cut and removed from this site. However, adjacent plots, where rejects was dumped, has natural growth of trees and one can visualize what would have been the natural growth in the plot from where rejects are removed.

21. The amount deposited by the lessee of Rs. 39,43,206/- works out to Rs. 78.86 per ton assuming there was only 50,000 tons of rejects. However, as stated above, nearly 2.5 lakhs tons rejects was removed and hence this cost works out to Rs. 15.77. This is meager considering that rate of ore exported is $ 130 i.e. Rs. 5,850/-. The lessee is thus making unreasonably huge profit, showing cost/benefit ratio as meager 4 by giving false information.

22. There is no mention of Royalty payable to State Exchequer, however royalty is payable as per MCR 60.

23. Violation of any condition of the approval by the lessee, approval stands automatically revoked. Condition for demarcating the land is already violated by the lessee and hence the approval granted stands revoked.

Therefore, the undersigned request you not to grant extension of further period of 2 years to the lessee, unless and until the issued raised above are solved legally, and Environmental Clearance is also granted under EIA notification referred above.

It is also brought to kind notice that in case permission is granted prior solving above issues and obtaining Environmental Clearance, the undersigned will be constrained to approach the Hon’ble High Court of Bombay at Goa, for redresses.

I am ready to extend my full co-operation to any authority in this regards.

Kindly inform me your decision in the matter.

Yours Faithfully,

Shankar R. Jog