Team Herald
PONDA: For the past 50 to 60 years it was pretty much smooth sailing for them. It was a happy life with mining companies engaged in their areas and were helping them indirectly earn their livelihood. But all this came to a rather dramatic end with the ban on mining for five years. Their dreams were shattered and with no source to generate an income, life has become a burden for them. Experiencing stress has snatched their precious smiles and tears making them just like statue as if life has come to standstill. Tensions are inviting more health hazards to us said the mining dependent. They are not still recovered from the shock of mining closure blow. Herald noticed this when visited the mining belt to cover the mining bandh report.
Some of the small shops and gada owners are still running their shops in losses. The shipowners said “We today kept our shops closed to support Goa Band call. Some truck driver at least got some OTS benefit but we did never get any help from government for our survival during past five years of mining closure”. Likewise, the hundreds of trucks which are lying idle having no work after mining closure are also seen parked by the side of lying in dust and rusting in sun, wind and rains. They said the Bhamai Palim Bazaar was once upon a time as the famous Banastari bazaar is now on the verge of closing as many of Bazaarkars are giving up their businesses after mining closure.
Sham Naik and others who are having gaddas by the side of Bhamai Palim Bazaar said “We are become helpless in absence of livelihood. Once upon a time the road here were full of dust pollution due to mining, we were facing dust but it was providing at least livelihood to us. There is no pollution now but we lost our fertile agriculture land for mining and now the time is so bad that we are even struggling to get a fresh water as all water resources we lost in mining. We are not struggling to pay schools fees our children but also the cost of our living. We are struggling to pay even our monthly electricity and water bills. Nobody in our family is a government servant”.
Sham Naik said “I was totally dependent on my gadda in Bhamai Palim Bazaar. Over the past five years we have lost everything. We were earlier getting customers due to truck drivers, employees involved in mining activities. This is totally stopped. I received last year paralytic stroke and slowly recovering. I am unable even to bear the health expenses and school fees of my children. We have no well-equipped hospital in our mining belt. Today my shop is running but no customers”. Local Panch member Santosh Naik along with other citizens at Bhamai Palim Bazaar said the locals here are struggling to feed their family. They have no money to provide better education for their children. He said “We cannot think now of providing higher education to our children as we have no money to provide fees for higher education, forget about making them doctor and engineers. Goa Government should find a solution to our problems and help our people affected by mining. We have no industrial estate in our mining belt which could give jobs to our youths”.
The mining halted in Goa due to illegalities seems to have not affected to the companies involved in mining but it has tremendously hit the indirect mining dependents such as small shops, gadas, vendors, spare parts sellers, garage, tea and small hoteliers. When Herald visited Bhamai –Palim Bazaar in the mining belt it appeared that most of the shops are in a dilapidated state, some are waiting for repairs, the roof sheets of some are blow away due to wind, while some shops are converted into rented premises so that they could earn some money to help families survive.
The government had not conducted rehabilitation of these small businessmen when they were badly hit five years ago.
