Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The farmers from Shirgao have a reason to smile with the High Court ordering three mining companies functioning in the village to contribute Rs 4 crore towards desilting of fields and rivulets.
With this order, Shirgao villagers have won 12-year fight against mining companies as claimed by a Dinanath Gaonkar, a local who was at the forefront fighting the case.
The desilting work was launched by Padmshree awardee Norma Alvares on Sunday. Present on the occasion were Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation, Shirgao Sarpanch Sadanand Gaonkar, Anamika Ghadi, Dinanath Gaonkar, former sarpanch Atchut Gaonkar, K P Naik, Keshav Deshpande and others.
According Gaonkar, 12 years ago, 125 villagers had filed a public writ petition in High Court that mining companies should compensate the farmers against the losses they have suffered.
He said that the verdict in the case delivered recently directing three mining companies (Vedanta, Bandekar and Chowgule) to contribute Rs 65 lakh each and in addition to Rs 2 crore from District Mineral Fund towards desilting of farms and rivulets that were destroyed due to entering of mining silt, repair of destroyed khazan bandharas, manas etc.
He claimed that 80,000 hectares of land will be cleaned and WRD has awarded this contract to Abhinandan Buildcon with condition to complete the work within 240 days. He also said the contribution of Norma and Claude Alvares towards helping farmers in this case was outstanding.
On the occasion, Norma Alvares congratulated villagers for the victory and called upon them to undertake farming and to bring about a green revolution. Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation called upon villagers to remain united and to put efforts to make farming a grand success once again.
On the occasion, Claude and Norma were felicitated by Sarpanch Sadanand Gaonkar, while farmers Dinanath Gaonkar, Sadanand Gaonkar and others were felicitated by Claude and Norma.
