Irked with pollution caused in the village due to mining transportation, residents of Ladfe-Bicholim on Tuesday blocked mining trucks from Kalne-Dodamarg, Maharastra.
It may be recalled that the residents had last week submitted a memorandum to Bicholim Deputy Collector D H Kenaudekar demanding a halt on mining transportation through their village.
However, the transport continued plying through Ladfe and on Tuesday at about 10 am, about 150 agitated villagers came on the road and blocked around 50 ore-loaded trucks at Ladfe.
Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar rushed to the site and supported the agitation. Bicholim Mamlatdar Pramod Bhat, Bicholim Police PI Madkaikar, Bicholim Congress Committee President Naresh Sawal also rushed to the site.
Residents fear the heavy mining traffic would pose a threat to the people at the temple, milk society, primary school and Shishuvatika school, all located along the roadside.
“Besides, the village and fields are also near the road,” complained the residents.
The villagers have demanded a complete stoppage of mining transportation through the village, which is being regulated from Maharashtra.
Later, Mamlatdar Pramod Bhat had a discussion with agitatators, who demanded that the transport contractor should be called at the site, but he was not available.
In order to solve the problem, Mamlatdar Bhat has convened a meeting in his cabin at Bicholim on Wednesday.
However, the villagers including MLA Patnekar and Sawal strongly suggested to stop the mining transport and no compromise should be made.
BICHOLIM CORRESPONENT ADDS: Tension gripped Bordem-Bicholim late Tuesday evening, as several mining trucks plying from Maharashtra to Bicholim were blocked by an irate mob at Bordem.
The incident occurred at about 8.30 pm, when a mining truck in a bid to overtake was about to hit a motorcycle rider at Bordem. The situation became tense, as the truck driver in turn tried to argue with motorcycle rider. Soon a mob gathered at the site and punctured the tyres of the truck.
Anticipating trouble, the truck driver fled from the site. The mob gathered at site stopped all the trucks plying from the road. The entire traffic along the road, including buses and private vehicles, were stopped.
Speaking to reporters, Anand Narvekar of Shiv Sagar group from Bicholim expressed displeasure over the mining trucks plying along the narrow roads in Bicholim.
“We will submit a memorandum to Bicholim Mamlatdar on Wednesday to take steps against the mining transport in Bicholim,” said Narvekar.
Herald, Wednesday, 21 October, 2009
Showing posts with label air. Show all posts
Showing posts with label air. Show all posts
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Vendanta’s European financers apprised of mining exploits in Goa
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, SEPT 26
In what could be termed as a new tactic to corner major mining company and counter its claims of “social responsibility” the Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) presented a paper on mining exploits of Vendanta before its nine bankers in London.
Vedanta operates in the State, Sesa Goa and Dempo mines which it acquired earlier this year.It was a conference of bankers that finances Vendanta where various NGOs, lawyers, social activists presented well-researched works on mining operations of Vendanta group wherever it has mining stakes in the world.
The GOAMAP was represented by H Bedi in London, who placed beforeEuropean Bankers a paper by Sebastian Rodrigues, Convenor of GOAMAP.
“An urgent appeal was made to all the banks involved in lending finances to Vedanta to immediately rethink their business. Financing Vedanta is financing destruction of Goa,” read the closing lines of the presentation.
He highlighted how presently open cast iron ore, manganese and bauxite mining is posing grave threat to Goa’s environment.
“There is tremendous pressure on land, water, housing, quality of air, agriculture, fisheries and forest cover due to mining industry. Mining has progressively ruined areas under mining for over half a century and it continues to do so with very high pace with sophisticated mechanization of the industry in place.”WATER: The paper said, Goa’s ground water is major casualty of mining as ground water is pumped out of the mining pits and released into the rivers and rivulets. And resultantly, wells in the villages where mines are located have gone dry and people are compelled to depend upon mining companies for the supply of water in tankers for all purposes.
The village of Pissurlem is a case in point in Sattari taluka. Here, Sesa Goa is one of the mining companies having its operations.
AGRO: The paper also pointed out that agriculture is another casualty of the prosperity of mining in Goa. “For the past few decades agriculture has been badly shattered by the mining industry due to large amount of silt deposits in the cultivable paddy fields.”In Pissurlem village, farmers have forced to abandon large track of paddy field for the reasons of mining silt into the fields, Rodrigues claimed adding that Sirgao village is Bicholim taluka is another casualty of mining industry over the past 40 years.
AIR POLLUTION: The paper also submitted that how mining activities has led to air pollution in the mining belt. “Health of People including Women and children is badly affected. There is high level of lung diseases prevalent in the mining belt. Asthma and tuberculosis are very common. Water shortages and water pollution has also caused number of health related problem. There are reports that people in Goa’s mining belt has rate of kidney failure cases” says Rodrigues.
FOREST: Forest is another major casualty. Mining covers over hundred mining leases located in Western Ghats forest – thick evergreen forest – one of the world’s 12 bio-diversity hotspots declared by United Nations.
According to submission in London meet mining leases occupy over 67,000 hectares of Goa’s land while manufacturing industry occupies little over 1,500 hectares of land. Nevertheless, manufacturing industry contributes more to Goa’s economy than mining industry.
Herald, Sunday, September 27, 2009, Panaji
PANJIM, SEPT 26
In what could be termed as a new tactic to corner major mining company and counter its claims of “social responsibility” the Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) presented a paper on mining exploits of Vendanta before its nine bankers in London.
Vedanta operates in the State, Sesa Goa and Dempo mines which it acquired earlier this year.It was a conference of bankers that finances Vendanta where various NGOs, lawyers, social activists presented well-researched works on mining operations of Vendanta group wherever it has mining stakes in the world.
The GOAMAP was represented by H Bedi in London, who placed beforeEuropean Bankers a paper by Sebastian Rodrigues, Convenor of GOAMAP.
“An urgent appeal was made to all the banks involved in lending finances to Vedanta to immediately rethink their business. Financing Vedanta is financing destruction of Goa,” read the closing lines of the presentation.
He highlighted how presently open cast iron ore, manganese and bauxite mining is posing grave threat to Goa’s environment.
“There is tremendous pressure on land, water, housing, quality of air, agriculture, fisheries and forest cover due to mining industry. Mining has progressively ruined areas under mining for over half a century and it continues to do so with very high pace with sophisticated mechanization of the industry in place.”WATER: The paper said, Goa’s ground water is major casualty of mining as ground water is pumped out of the mining pits and released into the rivers and rivulets. And resultantly, wells in the villages where mines are located have gone dry and people are compelled to depend upon mining companies for the supply of water in tankers for all purposes.
The village of Pissurlem is a case in point in Sattari taluka. Here, Sesa Goa is one of the mining companies having its operations.
AGRO: The paper also pointed out that agriculture is another casualty of the prosperity of mining in Goa. “For the past few decades agriculture has been badly shattered by the mining industry due to large amount of silt deposits in the cultivable paddy fields.”In Pissurlem village, farmers have forced to abandon large track of paddy field for the reasons of mining silt into the fields, Rodrigues claimed adding that Sirgao village is Bicholim taluka is another casualty of mining industry over the past 40 years.
AIR POLLUTION: The paper also submitted that how mining activities has led to air pollution in the mining belt. “Health of People including Women and children is badly affected. There is high level of lung diseases prevalent in the mining belt. Asthma and tuberculosis are very common. Water shortages and water pollution has also caused number of health related problem. There are reports that people in Goa’s mining belt has rate of kidney failure cases” says Rodrigues.
FOREST: Forest is another major casualty. Mining covers over hundred mining leases located in Western Ghats forest – thick evergreen forest – one of the world’s 12 bio-diversity hotspots declared by United Nations.
According to submission in London meet mining leases occupy over 67,000 hectares of Goa’s land while manufacturing industry occupies little over 1,500 hectares of land. Nevertheless, manufacturing industry contributes more to Goa’s economy than mining industry.
Herald, Sunday, September 27, 2009, Panaji
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