The quarry at Bailemoddi in Sao Jose de Areal that claimed the life of Jaffar Kanvalli on May Day is apparently abandoned by everybody except picnickers and those wanting to have a good time given the fact that the concerned panchayat staff and even the police are keen to disown it.
According to Maina Curtorim Police, Jaffar’s was the third death that occurred there since the quarry was abandoned. The other two to die there are 57-year-old Joao Caitano Cardozo from Sao Jose de Areal who drowned on April 4, 2013 and whose case was registered under No. 06/04/13.
The second person to drown there was 22-year-old Carmona resident Julius Peter Dias whose case was registered under No. 21/05/13.
However, the locals claim that at least five persons have died there, police personnel claimed that other deaths must have occurred at other spots which come under the jurisdiction of either Margao Town Police Station or Quepem Police Station.
The quarry apparently belongs to the Comunidade and one Sebastiao P Travasso used to extract black metal from it years back.
As the quarry is a private property the Panchayat has not bothered to interfere with it and according to SaoJose de Areal Deputy Sarpanch Mario Gomendes a lot of material would be required to fill up the quarry given the fact that it is nearly 20 metres deep.
