WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Environmentalist Ramesh Gauns has written to the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) urging it to hold public consultations on the issue of granting road permits to transport ore from the mines to Sarmanas Jetty, with the affected people of Bicholim Taluka, prior to granting of any road permits to Vedanta Limited.
In the letter, Gauns writes, "It has come to our attention that your office is about to provide opinion to the High Court of Bombay at Goa, recommending transportation of ore on public roads, village roads and district road in Bicholim, in order to facilitate Vedanta Limited Block - I mines ore transportation. We request you to kindly refrain from allowing such transportation."
"Transportation of ore at the rate of 120 trips per hour - as recorded in Vedanta Limited letter dated April 8, 2024 to your office, would mean invasion of public roads in a mighty reckless manner, threatening road safety with impunity, thereby violating the 2022 Supreme Court directions on road safety," Gauns wrote.
He has pointed out that environmental clearance (EC) dated January 23, 2024 records response from Vedanta Limited that total ore that will be transported per day is 12,658 tonnes, in 1,205 trips per day and 127 trips per hour with total vehicles that will be put on road to and fro totalling 254 vehicles per hour.
"This is sure to create a catastrophe for 237 days per year which you need to prevent. Moreover, you are well advised to organise public consultations with affected people residing close to the vicinity of the roads before providing any permissions to use existing public roads, village roads, town roads as well as district roads for transportation of ore at such high rate as 120 trips per hour," Gauns has said.
