Team Herald
PANJIM: Night-time ore transportation – the source of anger and frustration for the long-suffering villagers of Pilgao – will no longer happen from the Vedanta mines. The State government informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa about this on Monday, with Advocate General Devidas Pangam confirming in court that ore will now be transported only till 5.45 pm, in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) established by the Directorate of Mines and Geology.
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The government’s announcement came during the hearing on a miscellaneous civil application filed by Anil Salelkar, a resident of Pilgao, who raised concerns about the ongoing transportation of ore at night, which he claimed violated environmental and regulatory guidelines. Salelkar, the petitioner, had previously brought to the court’s attention that trucks were transporting ore both day and night, often using a route not approved under the Environmental Clearance (EC) conditions.
In response, the counsel for Vedanta Limited explained that the company had been facing obstructions on the approved route, which led them to use an alternative path. The court, however, instructed the company to file a petition detailing the specific obstacles they encountered by next Monday and reiterated that the company must adhere to the EC-approved route for ore transportation.
After the hearing, Advocate Ajay Prabhugaonkar, who is representing the villagers, addressed the media, claiming that the State government’s admission that the ore transportation route passes through tenanted land at Sarmanas, Bicholim, marked a significant victory for the local community. Prabhugaonkar also noted that Vedanta had deviated from the approved route and lacked a dedicated path for transporting ore, raising concerns over safety and environmental impact.
During the proceedings, the petitioner submitted photographic evidence showing trucks loaded with mining ore passing through Pilgao village well after 11 pm, in violation of the SOP. The new transportation route, which runs from Mineral Block-I in Shirgao to Sarmanas Jetty, reportedly passes through residential areas, creating dust pollution and posing safety risks
to villagers.
Salelkar emphasised that the unsanctioned route not only caused noise and dust pollution but also lacked monitoring by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), further exacerbating the environmental concerns.
