27 Jan 2024  |   06:37am IST

IN GOA PEOPLE ELECT, MINERS SELECT REPRESENTATIVES: Gawas

Environment and RTI activists state start of mining activities indicative of blatant overruling of rules of Central and State govts; assert that this is a direct conflict between mining and agriculture in the affected villages

PRATIK PARAB

BICHOLIM: Terming the mining activities in villages of Bicholim taluka as an example of the blatant overruling of rules set by the Central and State governments, Environmentalist Ramesh Gawas said that in Goa “people elect representatives and miners select representatives”. 

Environmentalists have alleged that the leasing of mining areas, the environmental clearances and the operations are completely contrary to law and cannot be conducted even a single day. 

He spoke to O Heraldo, in the heart of the mining belt in the Bicholim taluka

Activist Ramesh Gawas explained how the government of Goa has concealed the facts to aid the mining operations. 

“When the Government auctioned mines they called them blocks and not leases. The Supreme Court had asked for allotment afresh, but in the name of Greenfield mines, the government has shown the same old mines as blocks,” he said. 

The mines that are causing pollution of rivers and streams and causing flooding are liable for termination. Gawas said, “The State and Central Governments have overruled the laws made by the Parliament. The mines that should have been terminated under the Section 4 (A) of MMDR Act have been allowed to reopen.” 

Explaining his statement, he highlighted, “In Goa people elect representatives and miners select representatives.” 

Gawas said that the people have fallen short to understand this fact in Goa. “The expected seriousness against the impact of mining has not been evoked in Goa. Water supplied from Khandepar which is 36 percent from Selaulim, which amounts to and 56 percent is threatened by several mines. That is a total of 92 percent of water to households in the State,” Gawas said.

RTI activist Swapnesh Sherlekar weighed in on this and said, “The company which has got an EC has a known history of violations and the State has acknowledged the same. However, the ruling dispensation has granted a clearance to them again.” 

Sherlekar said that it is on record that the villages that had mining operations in the past have completely lost their agriculture potential. 

“This is a direct conflict between mining and agriculture in the affected villages. The Goa government is working on its sustainability and swayampurna, but their actions are completely conflicting with their own set goals, which are shocking,” he said.