My investigations revealed that ever since he has become the Municipal chief he has invested in 4 trucks. At the street confrontations these biases were exhibited full blown. Besides using filthy abusive language on the protestors, he challenged Goa Police to fine the trucks violating. The pidly amout of fines are taken as flowers by the truckers rather than giving clean air the the Bicholim Residents. Satish argued that covering the truck with tarpoline is uneconomical as the lifespan of the single tarpoline is only 10 days and the cost to buy the new one is Rs. 3000/-. It does not make bussiness sense at all.
Then suddenly in the middle of commotion Mayor turned towards one of the protestors and asked, "If you believe mining trucks are causing pollution then why have you financed 16 trucks yourself?" My latter queries revealed that the man he was quetioning is an employee of transnational ICICI bank. And it is the bank that has been the financing mining trucks. Well, the Mayor has the point here, inspite of his arrogance
ICICI bank should refrain from financing mining trucks.
Mining truck crossing Bicholim comes from places in Goa as well as Maharastra. Among the major companies that are carring on the trade includes, multinational Sesa Goa that is owned by Japanese Mitsui, Dempo Mining Corporation, Chowgules, Bandekars and others. Dempos has the mining history of over half the century in Bicholim. The municipality had even symbolically handed over silver key to its proprietor late
Vasantrao Dempo on his 65th birthday in 1975. The company since then increasingly invaded new lands within the municipal limits, outside the limits and on the boundaries. The routine water shortages, loss of land under agriculture, dust pollution, tuberculosis and other lung deseases are sought to be compansated for by liberal donations to temples, cajoling to buy trucks, participation in mining the form of running of bulldozers and of course the employment argument.
Mohan Naik, a retired headmaster told me when I spoke to him after the road blokade, says "Mining has ruined Bichoilim. And yes. Anyone with one visit to the city, on the first braeth inhaled will confirm what the retired headmaster has to say. I totally agree with him too. The voice of protest is finally on the streest of Bicholim; something to rejoice on Earth day.
Sebastian Rodrigues NEST (Nature Environment Society and Transformations)
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