SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2024
PRATIK PARAB
MULGAO (BICHOLIM): When environment clearances are given, is the “environment” ever asked? And is the environment only about trees, hills and lakes or people? If people are our environment then how are environmental clearances given with the futures of people, on the line? These are simply common sense questions that should continuously prick the bubble of this ‘smooth people-backed mining restart’ narrative that is being offered.
Located between Bicholim and Assonora, Mulgao shares its borders with Mayem and Shirgao villages. All three villages are going through issues that are originating from mining operations. In Mulgao, Vedanta aims to start mining in an area of over 167 hectares. They have succeeded in getting an Environmental Clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoE&FCC) for the operations.
LOCALS ASK, ‘Paani Kaay Khani?
Environment Activist Ramesh Gawas while speaking of the lack of a united fight to save the interests of the public, asked a contemporary yet hypothetical question, Paani Kaay Khani – (Water or Mining) “Mines in Khandepar, Selaulim and some more areas threaten the destruction of the water sources of Goa. Both the water facilities together serve 90 per cent of people with potable drinking water. It is for us Goans to decide now, we need water or mining.”
Surprisingly, the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report that was the base of this clearance, has no mention of the 230 houses, 14 temples, schools and several other natural water bodies in the village.
HOUSES, TEMPLES, WATER-BODIES, NOT
ACKNOWLEDGED
Villagers have alleged that there has been apparent concealment of facts and bulldozing of the interests of people in the village. They are petrified by the fact that over 230 houses, several temples and a large number of water bodies fall under the lease area, which has not been acknowledged by the authorities even after repeated requests and demands.
MINING PIT COLLAPSE INCIDENTS HAVE DESTROYED FERTILE FIELDS
Villagers recollect that while there has been no significant upliftment of lives and livelihoods during the past decades of mining activities, there have been horrendous accidents of mining pit collapse that have destroyed large tracts of fertile fields and water bodies in the village.
Leading from the front, Vasant Gad, President of the Shri Kelbai Devasthan, Mulgao says that all the requests that have been placed before the political leaders have fallen flat.
“It has now become a fight for the existence of the village as mining threatens culture, religion, lives, livelihoods and everything connected to the village,” he said.
Residents of Manaswada, Mulgao are the worst affected as the lease area and the dangerous section of the mine is dead behind the houses of this waddo. Ramakant Mandrekar said "There is some monetary exchange involved in allowing the mining to be carried out in the village setting aside the problems of the people. The Chief Minister had to solve the problems of people first rather than allowing mining activity by trampling the concerns and sentiments of people beneath his feet,” he said.
Villagers of Mulgao, Bicholim have vehemently opposed mining operations in their village and have decided that they won’t allow any mine to start in the village at any cost.
The villagers have alleged that the Government is dancing to the tune of corporates which they alleged have already destroyed the village to a great extent for several decades in the past.
