Frequent trips, often more than required, Supreme Court orders, agitations and strikes have ended with silence descending on the mining areas in Goa.
Locals who have been affected by the closure of mining from March 16 are saying that mining contractors have made crores from their land but have invested the profits in different parts of the State, except the area from where they have made the money.
Villagers from Usgao, Sonshi, Pali, Cavrem have contributed a lot to the mine owners and the government Treasury. However, illegal activities in the mining leases have forced the Supreme Court to shut down mining activity in the State and has asked the Goa Government to auction the leases.
The villagers from the mining belt claim they have suffered pollution due to the dust, have risked their lives because of the speeding trucks but in return have not gained anything much as the mine owners have looted them and left their lands barren. Some of the villagers have lost their sons, daughters and family members due to the speeding trucks.
They claim that the government has ignored their difficulties, problems which have brought them to their knees as their only livelihood has been snatched away from them.
Some Usgao villagers said the mine owners have built hotels, restaurants at their expense and have deprived them of their agricultural lands. Some villagers claim that their daily needs like water have been robbed from them and the promise of supplying water by tankers has not been fully complied with.
Many of their elected representatives, the villagers claim, have tried to appease them by holding medical camps, opening schools, to hold on their vote banks and only offered them crumbs.
Their natural springs, nullahs which used to provide them fresh water have been destroyed by the mining filth which has prevented them from using water for their agricultural produce like paddy, lentils and other vegetable products.
“The government has ignored to use the mining fund contribution for the welfare of the mining affected persons,” said Bhamail Pali panch Santosh Naik.
“The government should revive and restore their land so that they can go back to agriculture and also bring in industries to give jobs to local youth,” says Vishnu Parab, who has been affected by the mining closure.
