Team Herald
PANJIM: It was only after Herald broke the story of the pitiable situation of the villagers of Sonshi-Sattari that the authorities took up the issue seriously.
The first sign that there would be serious intervention, after the violation of human rights of protesting villagers, came when the High Court of Bombay at Goa suo motu took cognisance of news reports, (mainly Herald which first reported on what happened to the Sonshi villagers).
The HC on Monday morning directed the State government and Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to file a reply on the media reports within a week. The bench also sought a report from the Valpoi Police Station.
The second authority to take cognisance of the issue was the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) after the matter was raised by activist advocate Aires Rodrigues on Tuesday morning who approached the commission and submitted the Herald reports on Sonshi village seeking its intervention for the right of fresh air and water to the villagers.
The issue also attracted political parties, as on Tuesday afternoon, the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) resolved to seek Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s intervention in the Sonshi village crisis.
Herald on Sunday reported and highlighted the problem faced by almost 350 residents of Sonshi due to ore transportation from the village.
The villagers claimed to have been breathing polluted air and their water bodies having gone dry in the past few months, due to mining operations and ore transportation.
Their fate worsened, when almost 45 villagers protesting the negligent approach of the mining companies and the government authorities, were held and have been in judicial lockup for over a week at Colvale jail.
The villagers are in judicial custody as they are not able to furnish the surety of Rs 10k for each, that amounts to Rs 4.5 lakh for all 45 arrested villagers.
The children of those who are in custody on Sunday marched to Valpoi Police Station protesting the arrests, and the detention of the bread earners, which is keeping them hungry.
