Team Herald

BICHOLIM: Mining affected farmers from villages in Bicholim on Friday demonstrated in the town demanding immediate payment of compensation for their damaged farms.

The farmers claim that their land has been destroyed due to mining and the land has become barren. “Many natural water reservoirs in our village have dried out due to rampant mining activities, but mining companies have not undertaken any measures to solve problems of villagers to make water provision due to which it has become difficult to undertake farming activities,” a farmer from Surla said.

The farmers have demanded that the mining companies should compensate them or else they would stop the companies from transporting iron ore. The villagers also submitted a memorandum to the deputy collector demanding that the mining companies first provide them compensation and then undertake transportation of ore.

Earlier on Monday, around 100 farmers from Surla came to Bicholim and protested in front of the office of the deputy collector demanding compensation for their damaged farms. The complained that the mining companies were lackadaisical in provide them compensation.

The demonstration led by the Surla sarpanch threatened that the panchayat body would all resign, if the farmers are not compensated.

Surla Sarpanch Bhola Khodginkar claimed that the entire Surla village has been destroyed due to mining and the land has become barren. 

Meanwhile, farmers from Mayem and Poira marched to the mining company’s office in the village and questioned the officers in charge about the compensation.

The morcha was led by All India Kisan Sabha, Goa unit president, Kamlakant Gadekar and youth leader Santoshkumar Sawant. More than 200 farmers marched to the company’s office as the farmers have allegedly not been compensated since 2010.

Besides demanding compensation, the farmers have also demanded that all the natural water resources in their village be restored. After the morcha the company was forced to stop the work. Later, a meeting was also held of all the stake holders in the deputy collector’s office but they were not able to arrive at any conclusion.