Mining in Sonshi village began in 1953. At that time, only 65 trucks were transporting the iron ore and all the roads were all of mud. In the beginning there were only two companies – Cosmi Costa and DMC — who were lease holders. As the pollution was minimal, it did not affect the villagers much. However, at present there are seven companies holding mining lease and the dust pollution has gone beyond control, leaving people, especially kids, in bad health.
In the last 10 years, five more mines were opened in Sonshi with new lease holders — ILPL, Marath Sad, K. A. Shetye, V G. Keny and PTI mine.
For past one year, these five new mines are transporting ore through the Sonshi village road because Honda village road is the main public transport road. With the new five companies the dust pollution in Sonshi has increased.
In the beginning when only two companies operated, there were only 150 trucks transporting the ore through Sonshi. At present, the number of trucks has gone up to 1182 a day.
“For the past 25 years mine owners have absorbed our agriculture land and turned them into mining zones. In return they have not given any money to our ancestors and have played with them,” says an elderly village man Anand Gawade.
“For the past four years, when mining was completely stopped in Goa, Sonshi villagers were living happily and also enjoyed a cool environment,” says a 57-year-old villager Gokuldas Gawade.
“Mining was started in our village during the Portuguese time. People then used to load the ore in trucks with their hands,” says a villager Shantaram Gawade.
“Our village children are falling sick every day. They are getting allergy and stomach aches due to the dust pollution in our village. We are taking them to the doctor every day. Our village people are not living their full life and are dying before 60,” says old village woman Shantabai Gawade.
“One of the mine owners has taken our land by force threatening us that if we did not sign on the property documents, then he would kill us. So now I want my land back and I am fighting for it for the past several years in the court,” says a village old man Bhanu Gawade.
“For the past three-and-half years, when mining was completely stopped in Goa, our village trees were blooming and re-started growing. Now we have to dust and clean our houses thrice a day because of the dust accumulating inside out homes. When mining was halted our village wells were never running dry. But after mining restarted our wells have no water. We enjoyed good health when the mining halted and there was no dust pollution. We had lived a healthy life in those years. There was no dust pollution,” says another villager Suraj Gawade.
