Areal STs in arms over moves to auction hills for stone extraction

Areal STs in arms over moves to auction hills for stone extraction
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, OCT 15
Scheduled Tribes from the sleepy village of Sao Jose de Areal are again up in arms over plans to auction the village hills for basalt stone extraction and to set up stone crushers.
Rallying under the banner of the Schedule Tribe Association, the scheduled tribes have strongly opposed Curtorim Communidade’s decision to hold auction for granting permission for extraction of basalt stones and for installation of stone crushers in the village. “The hills of our village are common lands, traditionally used for sustainable uses only, such as forestry and agriculture in their diverse forms and housing for villagers. The RP 2021 shows the hills of Sao Jose de Areal as orchard zones and no development slopes. Most of the hills are covered under social forestry. The RP 2021 also shows these hills as being under social forestry”, asserted Association secretary Josephine Viegas.
What has agitated the local tribal populace of the village was the notice published by the Communidade of Curtorim announcing its decision to hold auction on October 17-18 to grant permission for the extraction of basalt stone and for installation of stone crushers. The notice signed by Curtorim Communidade President Jawaharlal Pimenta and Attorney Dr Ernest Rodrigues had further stated that the land will be allotted to successful bidders located at the Sao Jose de Areal village.
Josephine maintained that large scale illegal quarrying for basalt stone extraction has destroyed many sections of the hills. “In spite of our struggle to save our village, the destruction has continued unabated. The ecology, water security, soil generation and the very survival of our village is dependent on the well-being of these hills”, she said, adding that the sustainability of the large population of the village is not possible without these hills. “It is essential that a restoration plan be prepared so that these hills are returned to their natural glory, rather than auctioning them for irreversible destruction”, she added.
The Association has dashed off a letter to the Curtorim Communidade and has demanded that the auction scheduled on October 17 is dropped forthwith. “The majority of the villagers of Sao Jose de Areal belong to the Scheduled Tribes. The hills of our village rightfully belong to us, the tribal residents of our village, even though the custody rests with the Communidade of Curtorim on account of the historical ties between the villages of Sao Jose de Areal and Curtorim”, she said.
Another village said the auction proposed on October 17-18 is not only against the Code of Communidades and the Forest Rights Act, but also violates the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 since the land is Forest Land. “Therefore, the Communidade of Curtorim must take up a plan for the restoration of the hills, rather than encourage further destruction of the village to fill the pockets of a few”, he said.
As a sustainable alternative, the Tribal Association has proposed that the Communidade consider allowing the villagers to use the same land for forestry, agriculture and grazing. “The rate proposed by the Communidade for quarrying is Rs 18 per sq mt, and for crusher units Rs 8 per sq mt. We are prepared to pay the same rate for our traditional uses of our lands, including cultivation and grazing”, Viegas asserted.