MAYEM: Can those of you living in the comfort of larger towns with urban comforts imagine this: 400 trucks racing through narrow pristine village roads, small enough for one car to pass, laden with iron ore. Then the ore spills, edges of the road are broken and water pipelines laid along the road are crushed.
That is the reason why the villagers of Mayem, under the banner of the Malakh Khajan Tenant Association went to court. For them stopping this ore transportation was the only way they could avoid their water pipelines from getting crushed and their roads in their villagers getting destroyed. Goa Foundation, hearing of their plight, intervened because the literal bulldozing of mining trucks through the villages violated several directives and orders. The stay granted by the High Court on any transportation was a hard-fought initial victory. But the legal battle for the complete and final stoppage of any ore transportation is just the beginning.
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Herald has always rolled up its sleeves to be with the people. For the Voice of Goa, it’s a justified people’s fight, which we will participate in, till justice is done.
Before the High Court stay order, 400 trucks had been plying through the village every day making about 3-4 trips each, amounting to over 1200 truck movements per day. In March and April. Then there was a lull for a few days. Towards the end of April, it all started again.
On April 28, about 50-60 trucks resumed ore transport. The number increased to around 100 trucks on April 29, the next day, when the Malakh Khajan Tenant Association decided to move court.
How MOEF & CC memo on transport of mining traffic on village roads was blatantly violated
The guidelines on transportation of ore dated 29.10.2014 state at Point No 2 (i): Transportation of the minerals by road passing through the village shall not be allowed. A ‘bypass’ road should be constructed (say, leaving a gap of at least 200 metres) for the purpose of transportation of the minerals so that the impact of sound, dust, and accidents could be mitigated.
How did the Goa Directorate of Mines allow this? In violation of Supreme Court orders and Goa Pollution Board’s conditions?
The Directorate of Mines and Geology allowed the transportation of iron ore through the village road of Mayem from May 2020. The permission was also in violation of conditions laid down by the Goa State Pollution Control Board in a letter dated Feb 6, 2020.
The petitioners have stated that the Mines Directorate did not even bother to inform the Goa State Pollution Control Board which is in violation of the directions issued by the GSPCB and the directions of the Supreme Court judgment of 2014, in the first Goa Foundation case.
Should villagers face police pressure and arrest? They are not wrong. The court order indicated that they had a ground.
Pure air, water and healthy life are all that they are fighting for. When the villagers decided to hold a peaceful protest to oppose the illegal and polluting transport, the police acted roughly and arrested their sarpanch.
Just as in Pissurlem Herald will deep dive into the manner in which the police have dealt with the locals of Mayem, rightfully protesting, so that every aspect of this people’s battle against the system is covered and highlighted.
