Ambaulim Intruzz on February 22

Ambaulim villagers will celebrate their traditional Intruzz festival on February 22, 2009 from 3.00 pm onwards in the Ambaulim village at Quepem taluka, Goa. Intruzz was revived last year after the gap of nearly decade and a half.

Police at Motesh's residence

As per infomation received at 1:33pm, police are at the residence of Motesh Antao in Colamb

GAKUVED rally against mining in Margao

Rivona unit of Gawda, Kunbi, Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) is organising public protest meeting against ill effects of mining industry on Goa on Friday, February 13, 2009 in Margao. The public meeting will take place at historic Lohiya Maidan at 3.30 pm.

People who are feeling concerned about all round destruction of Goa - forest cover of Western Ghats, agriculture, drying up of water sources, health, Dangers posed to Goa's rivers - Mandovi, Zuari, Kushavati and all their tributaries, Police harassment to people opposed to mining, Defamation suit filed by mining companies, mining threat to major dams of Goa - Assanora, Selaulim and Opa water works etc. are invited to attend the public meeting.

Rama Ladu Velip,
President,
GAKUVED - Rivona Unit.

Bambolim Battlefield - II

This is a road (dug) to Gauns family home in Bambolim

Gauns house in Bambolim. This property is eyed by real estate sharks. First step is to cut off the access. So typically military style! Warfare on the residents over the traditional untarred road.

All his life Krishna Gauns walked on this road. And now real estate agents are forcing him to believe that there was never a traditional road here. You believe it or no!

Gauns has a cattle with him along with 8 member family of human beings. But Real Estate agents has robbed this family of dignity by digging their access to the main road.

Portion of the traditional road used by Gauns family. The family has demanded that those responsible for digging their road be arrested.

Small team of people offering solidarity to Gauns family on Saturday, 07 February 2009.

Here is another traditional well packed and ready to buried in Bambolim. Goa's traditional water bodies are under threat for sure but not just by miners and industry but also by these type of builders and real estate sharks.

Here you have constructions even on top of traditional drains.

Banyan tree in Bambolim facing threats from the Real estate incursions. Will it be cut down too?

This is a development (?) in place of the traditional road to Gauns family.

This is no drinking water well but one dangerous water hole on side of main road in Bambolim. This is a juncture from where traditional road to Gauns house passes by. And its dug this deep!

A sign board of destructive construction in Bambolim.

Inside traditional well of Gauns family in Bambolim. There used to be plenty of water in this well but due to the bore wells dug by real estate agents ground water is depleting here. Natural springs too are drying up and access is closed for public that used to go for bath annually after the annual salt water dip in Arabian Sea on Bambolim shores in April-May months. This is a well known practice in the State of Goa.

Gauns family in close proximity to that of the builders.

Construction of compound wall by real estate company right inside the traditional drain in Bambolim bordering Gauns property.

Real Estate - Goan by name and anti-Goan by deeds! Gauns family is Goan family. Of course the money has no state allegiance. So who cares for Goans any more? At least not the real estate parties as this is the case.

You are welcome to visit Gauns family. You will have to visit to belive what is happening. In case you think of coming just call Rahul Gauns at his cell number 9850816084.

Pravin Sabnis and Sebastian Rodrigues with support from Rahul Gauns

Police Complaint launched against the Director of Goan Real Estate

Gauns family yesterday night at 09.35 pm lodged police complaint against Mr. Pascoal Trinidade, Director of Goan Real Estate and Construction Pvt. Ltd for disrupting their traditional access road. Police from Agassaim police station visited the controversial site at 10.00 pm in the night in response to the complaint.

Then at 5.30 pm PI Karpe of Agassaim Police Station along with 5 other policemen came to the Bambolim disputed site. Officials and Staff members of the building firm including the Mr. Pascoal Trinidade, Director of Goan Real Estate and Construction Pvt. Ltd were also present on the occasion. After some discussions PI Karpe told Gauns family members that the builders has lots of money and police is impotent in front their money and political connections.

Mr. Pascoal Trinidade, Director of Goan Real Estate and Construction Pvt. Ltd told Gauns family in the presence Police team led by PI Karpe that Gauns family will not be able to stop Aldeia's intention to grab the land even if the Gauns family goes to the press and organises press conferences, for he does not care for the Press.

In the meanwhile Gawda Kunbi Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) has extended the support to the Gauns family of Bambolim in their fight for the access to road to their dwelling house.

The details content of the police complaint filed last night is as follows:

From:

Rahul Gawas,
House No. 240/5,
Zhoribhat, Near Bambolim Beach Resort,
Bambolim, Goa.

Date: February 5, 2009

To,

The In-Charge,
Agassaim Police Station,
Agassaim,
Goa.

Sir,

Subject: Complaint for Digging and obstructing of my traditional access road by Goa Real Estate and Construction Pvt Ltd.

Today at 3.30 pm staff belonging to Goan Real Estate and Construction Pvt Ltd dug up road leading up to my house bearing house number 240/5 at Zoribhat, near Bambolim Beach Resort, Bambolim, Goa. The digging of traditional ancestral road leading to my house has caused grave situation as I and my family members are blocked from access to the main road.

Please register the FIR against the Director (Pascoal Trinidade) and other Staff of Goan Real Estate and Construction Pvt Ltd at Bambolim and intervene to open the access to my house urgently.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,
Sd/-
Rahul Gawas

Copy to:
1. Superintendent of Police, North Goa.
2. Director General of Police (DGP), Panjim

Thanks to Aldeia de Goa project Goan family's traditional acess blocked at Bambolim beach

One family in Bambolim, Goa was in rude shock today. The ancestral traditional access road to their house turned into pool water in survey number 101/1. At around 3.30 pm today two family members - Tulsidas Gauns and Rahul Gauns set out for Panjim. The next moment they got a call from their home that their road is dug. They now are facing the tough question as to how to get back into their House for the night. The question is there also for the family members inside the house as to how they are going to have access to the main road. The builder who dig this is the same one who has built high profile and controversial Aldeia de Goa project - Goan Real Estate and Constructions Pvt Ltd.

The family used the 17 meters stretch of road as is used by the 8 residents of house residing in House No. 240/5 located at Zoribhat, Near Bambolim Beach Resort, Bambolim. Survey number of their land is 102/4.

Eight family members who are the residents of this place for the past over 40 years and always used this traditional road includes Gonu Krishna Gauns (69 years), Laxmi Guno Gauns (65 years) and their family members.

Family earlier anticipating this situation had filed complaints with various authorities that includes the following:

1. To the Sarpanch of Curca, Bambolim Panchayat on 22/01/2009.
2. To The Aggasaim Police Station on 23/012009
3. To The deputy Town Planner, Town & Country Planning Department.
4. To The Mamlatdar of Tiswadi, Panjim.

The Contends of their complaints was as follows:

Mr. Guno Krishna Gauns,
Resident of House No. 240/5,
Zaribhat, Near Beach Resort,
Bambolim, Tiswadi, Goa

Sir/ Madam,

I, the undersigned Complainant, residing at above address do hereby lodge the following Comlaint as under:

1. That I am the owner in title and in possession of landed property bearing survey No. 102/4 of village Bambolim, Consisting there in of a residential house bearing village panchayt House No. 240/5.

2. That I and my family members are in continuous and uninterrupted use of a traditional access passing through a property 101/1 and 101/3 of village Bmabolim since time immemorial.

3. That the said access is 3 (three) meter wide and about 100 (One hundred) meter in length from the edge of my property which is clearly shown in the site plan annexed hereto.

4. That the said Access is being in use for the last more than hundred years.

5. That the worker working for the Goan Real Estate construction Private Ltd had dug a pit/ ditch thereby blocking our Traditional Access.

6. That I have orally requested site engineer and worker working for the Goan Real Estate Construction Private Ltd, not to block the said access but offer non heed to the same.

7. That if the aforesaid acts not stop then myself and my family members will be deprived of their right to use the said access, which is only access to use to go to the main road.

8. That therefore, kind attention is invited in order to stop and restore the said access to its original condition.

Awaiting your quick action and for this kindness the Complainant shall ever pray.

Yours truly,
Sd/-
(Guno Krishna Gauns)

You may contact the family member Rahul Gauns at his mobile number 9850816084 to offer your support.

Goa's ruin continues: three more mining Public Hearings in Colamb

As if the havoc created in Colamb village is not enough Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India has called for three more minng public Hearings in the Colamb village in Goa's Sanguem Taluka in the heart of Western Ghats Forests. They will be held on February 06 in Rivona Panchayat Hall, Rivona, Sanguem, Goa at 10.00 am.

Mining leases for which public hearings are going to be held includes:

1. Galimol au Cazori Gogo Iron Ore Manganese Ore Mine of Shri Vasantrao G Mehta for the total area of 68.75 hactares with T.C. No. 41/53, Colomba, Sanguem. Survey numbers of the land includes 4 (part), 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 (part) and 13.

2. Vathasur Manganese Ore Mine of Shri Vasantrao G Mehta for a total area of 21.70 hectares with T.C. No. 46/51, Colomba, Sanguem. Survey number of land includes 4 (part), 12 (part), 13 (part), 14, 15, 17, 22 and 24.

3. Borgali Ou Iron Ore Mine of M/s S. Marzoor & Cadar Pvt. Ltd for a total area of 87.8530 hectares with T.C. No. 18/56. Survey number of land includes 37, 38, 63, 65, 150, 154, 156, 165, 166, 167 and 169.

All the three mining leases is designated Forest land. The total land of these three leases sought to be given for mining totals to 178.303 hactares. Please go there and submit your letter of objection.

Colamb has total land of 1929 hactares of land of which 1510 hectares are under mining leases. Village will have only 419 hactares left for itself. Large scale dmage to agriculture and water bodies is already taking place. Already tow mines are in operation. Both of them are operated by different members of Timblo family. One by Radha Timblo and and second by Avadooth Timblo. State government has been providing police security to these mining companies in the face of stiff opposition from the Colamb villagers. It is large the might of police and private security that is responsible for ongoing slow death of Colamb village.

By the way Sanguem taluka has 20,000 hactares of land under mining leases granted during earstwhile Portuguese regime. And all of these mining leases are activated then Not only Western ghats forest will get badly ruined but also several villages like Sulcorna, Curpem etc will get completely wiped off, Water bodies dried up forever.

State authorities including Goa Government headed by its Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and Ministry of Environemnt and Forest are responsible for this Ecocide of the State of Goa. Opposition Parties in the Assebly are largely silent on the issue. Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar behaved irresponsibly and went ahead to label those opposing mining invasion of Goan villages as "Naxalites". Large number of Goa's elected representatives have thier business ties to mining industry. That's why every one in the Goa Assembly is silent. Even the known vocal legislator in the Goa Assembly - Victoria Fernandes is mum on the whole issue. Yesterday she was on the streets protesting on the streets in a rally to oppose Garbage disposal plant in Baiguinim in Old Goa. It is time to question her as to why she is quite on mining for damage dome by mining is severe and intense to Goa and for its survival.

Another Legislator Joaquim Alemao is a contractor through his mining firm Raissa company and is going to operate Marzook Cadar lease T.C. no 18/56 that is going for public hearing on February 06, 2009 in Rivona. Joaquim Alemao is Goa's Urban Development Minister who is all out to destroy Goa sylval rural areas through his greed for open cast mining. His elder brother Minister Churchill Alemao who has time and claim for his unstinted love for Goa, its culture and language is overtaken by his love for his Minister brother Joaquim Alemao. And hence is keeping studied strategic silence. In fact now people from Navelim and Cuncolim must rise up and tell Alemao brothers to speak up against mining and cut off their bussiness links with mining industry.

And we have great tradition - of miners in the Goa Assembly - is being continued through legislator Anil Salgaonkar. This tradition began with Dayanand Bandodkar as Goa's first Chief Minister way back in early 1960s, and then his Chief Minister daughter Shashikala Kakodkar continued the same in !970s. Prapsingh Rane became the darling of the mining companies through out his tunure as Chief Minister in 1980s. The evidence to this effect can be collected from his Constituency of Poriem in Sattari. You only have to visit Pissurlem to know for yourself first hand.

Large number of Goa's legislators share stakes in Goa's mining industry that is fast spreading its cancerous tenticles from north to South of Goa spliting it vertically. It is disrupting large section of Goa's 9 rivers and 42 tributories. Goa's Watershed zones are dangerously threatened due to minig industry. Yet none of our legislators - from Opposition as well as from ruling party can see it. They are acting dumb, deaf and blind. Goa's future and present is severly threatened by mining, yet these 40 MLAs has got their sensitivities dead. This is indeed very sad time in the history of Goa. All the ruling political parties in the Assembly - Congress (i), BJP, MGP, UGDP, SGF please speak up. Also independents - Vishwajeet Rane and Victoria Fernandes please speak up. This is very desperate pleas to all of you'll. If you don't want to speak for your sake, please speak up at least for the sake of future of our State of Goa. You'll know, in Goa we get all our water - fresh water to drink, to cultivate, to industry, to tourism - all from these majestic mountains called Western Ghats. We will be left with severe water shortage if you'll allow mining industry to run amok of this beautiful paradis on earth.

You'll know very well Mhadei river is already half damn and very soon it would be getting diverted to Malaprabha basin by Karnataka Government. And our tourism industry already facing acute shortage of water in future. Goa Governemt's economic survey of 2006-07 makes it very clear. It has made it clear that PWD pipelines are incapable to meet the demands of tourism industry. It has recommended to begin getting water from Tillari water dam in Maharastra at a very rapid and fast pace. Our drinking needs - for taps- are carrying water from mainly three water dams. Selaulim, Opa and Assanora water works. (Anjuna Water dam in Sattari caters to irrigation needs of sections of Sattari taluka.) All these water dams are threatened with mining. Sanguem's Selaulim Water dam that supplies water to Salcete and Marmagao talukas, including Margao and Vasco cities is permanently threatened by mining activities. Even today there is mining activity going on there. Goa and inspect it for your self. Opa Water works in Ponda Taluka is severely threatened by several operating operating mining leases in the vicinity of Khandepar River basin. Opa Supplies water largely to the the Ponda, and Tiswadi taluka that includes Panjim city. Assanora river water basin is threatened by large scale mining expansion in Advalpal mountains. and Maharastra government is having change of mining over supplying water to Goa though Tillari Irrigation project even though pipeline is laid. So the question is can we afford to make water depenendent? Shouldn't we all work hard to ensure that Goa's water sources - its mountains - are kept safe and away from mining corporates? Should we let there few families from Goa and multinational -Vedanta owned Sesa Goa bleed this State of Goa.

If you want to get the tast of all this then you only go to Bicholim taluka's Sirgao village and check our for your yourself all the 77 dry village wells due to mining. They have no water to drink, no water to wash and bath, no water for cattles, fields are no longer cultivable due to high deposit of silt. Same is the story of Pissurlem in Sattari and mayem in Bicholim.


Please speak up MLA, speak up for the sake of Goa, and its pending thirst. Please speak up to demand closure of open cast mining in Goa. That is the only way we can safely pass on this paradise called called in the hands of future generation from whom we have borrowed it and we are merely custodians. We canno afford afford to keep silent on this count.

Request also to other political parties in the State of Goa that do not have their MLAs elected to the assembly. Please speak up! Goa Su-Raj Party, Communist party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M), Shiv Sena Please mobilize yourselves and put the agenda of mining on top priority. We have to deal with this rising above party politics. We need to build consensus - political consensus on undesiribility of continuing mining trade any further in Goa. Your silence will help no one. Please speak up and speak up quickly. We have already caused immense harm to Goa's ecology - its water sources, its majestic mountains of tropical evergreen forests, its flora and foauna. We are yet to calculate the extend of unemployment and food insucurity created by destruction of agriculture for the past 60 years.

We also have to initiate dialoge with the labour unions active in mining sector in Goa. Request to labour Unions too to see the mining picture in wholistic situation of Goa and its future. Please resist from seeing only from your job perspective. Should the entire State of Goa suffer because of the industry that you are part of? You'll are very justified in rising the flag of Job to the sky when it comes to mining? But did you'll ever pondered enough as to how cancerous this industry has become for the very survival of Goa? Please do so at the earliest. The cross dialogue with different sections of our society must begin. Water threats are real due to mining and all of us need to wear our thinking hats to evolve direction for the future of our state. Unions in Goa are dangerously cought up in the economism and sadly did not with any degree of consistency taken on to look at influencing political direction of the State of Goa. Unions has provided stability to industry to Goa with minimum labour unrest. And in mining industry there is hardly more than a couple of instances of labour unrest in public memory. And, if there was it is hardly documented and made available for public information. Labour has to become the agent of transformation for the State of Goa. With powerful labour unions backing any transformative initiatives success is plausible. But are labour Union Leaders interested in attempting to share responsiblity of Governance of State of Goa? The prevailing situation does not point anywhere to this possiblity. There is a need for tremendous change of approach - from economism to the political responsibilty amongst the labour unions of Goa. Silence of labour Unions on mining question in Goa is suicidal.

Margao People has to wake up to this reality very fast. Out of total 810 mining leases Margao people are owning 155 mining leases. Timblo family in their name has 57 mining leases. Besides they are operating number of other leases like Hiralal Khodidas mining lease in Colamb and Litho Ferro in Advalpal. Similarly is the case with Dempos in Bicholim whose mines has caused collossal all round ecological damage. Dempos, Timblos, Chowgules, Bandekars, Sesa Goa, Salgaonkar, Damodar Mangaljis - all of them are in a race to finish the state of Goa forever. Student in Metro.

And finally Goa's total area under mining leases is over 68,000 hectares. Still Goa's Ministry of Mines and geology is yet to have the website of its own. Secrecy is the rule of this department. By the way it is good to know again to refresh our memory - Chief Minister Digambar Kamat is also the Mines Minister. Mr. Chief Minister, Please act, Act Decisively. You have been presented to go down in the pages of history as the man who did not fear for his chair but was decisive at the most critical moment of Goa.

It is testing time for all of us in Goa. And we have now to say and say it repeadly and loudly - enough is enough!

Sebastian Rodrigues

Quepem Police targets Colamb anti-mining activist Tedoz Antao

Quepem police yesterday served letter to Tedoz Antao, an active Colamb citizen in anti mining movement in Goa to be present at the Quepem Police Station within 17 hours. Tedoz has been criminally charged under various sections of IPC at the instance of the mining company.

Moira Public Protest Protest against Fomentos Rs.500/- crore defamation suit

According to the message received from Floriano Lobo from Moira there will be public protest meeting against Fomento mining company filing defamation suit of Rs.500/- crore against Sebastian Rodrigues for his online writings exposing mining industry at http://www.mandgoa.blogspot.com/.

Meet that is going to be held on Monday, February 02, 2009 at Moira Club, Moira, Bardez, Goa at 4.00 pm will also protest against open cast mining in Goa.

Members of public are invited to participate in the meeting and express their support to the movement against mining in Goa. Floriano has requested those willing to participate in the meet to come along with black Flags.

Lisa Noronha contributes Rs.1000/- towards fighting defamation case at Calcutta High Court

Lisa Noronha contributed Rs.1000/- towards fighting defamation case at Calcutta High Court against Sebastian Rodrigues by Goa's Fomento mining company. GAKUVED gratefully aknowledges her contribution as well as her good wishes.