Rapidly Undermining Goa
Where is the social responsibility?
By Miguel Braganza
The recent amendment to Section 16 of the Goa Town & Country Planning Act,
1974, to exempt projects and works of Central government and State
government from conforming to the Regional Plan is the proverbial 'last
straw that broke the camel's back'. Surprisingly, this event occurred even
without the mock "dhirio" in Penha de France last March. The Task Force on
the Regional Plan 2021 was effectively bypassed, nay dispensed of its Vas
deferens, under local anesthesia. It watched as helplessly as the people of
Goa used to watch rape of their land by builders and mine owners, under the
sterilized garb of "development", until their political vasectomy was
clinically reversed by the 73rd amendment to the Constitution of India.
A local newspaper wrote thus: "GBA insiders say that the government weakened
the Task Force mandate with this Bill." That is a misconception or, rather,
a non-conception. Vasectomy does not weaken the individual; it merely
renders him impotent to perpetuate his species. The eunach is as sturdy as
the individual he was before. In fact, it is said that there is a vast
difference between the stallion and the gelding. The gelding is not just
stronger, he is also better behaved. Castration was a recommended practice
among domestic boars, horses and harem keepers. During the era of the
Adilshah, Panjk-halli's Palacio de Idalcao boasted of some great harem. They
were fit as a fiddle, but minus one string. They had an important "Task" to
perform and were a "force" to reckon with. History tells us that the
building that houses the present day Directorate of Accounts, or the
erstwhile Fazenda, was their territory.
The much maligned Mormugao Port Trust [MPT]authorities have been better than
the "Aam Admi" Government and decided not to go ahead with their proposal
to construct cruise terminal at Vasco bay and relocate fishing jetty at
Vaddem following the opposition from the local people but to build such a
facility to the west of breakwater.
According to Dr. Claude Alvares, the first mining lease in Goa was operated
in 1929 though most iron ore mines became operational in the 1950s and some
leases were never mined. Now, in addition to these 700-odd leases there are
480 applications for fresh prospecting in Goa. No mine is prevented from
obtaining Environmental Clearance, even if all the villagers gather at the
"Public Hearing" and unanimously oppose the operation of the lease. This is
not democracy, said Dr.Claude Alvares. However, this is today's reality in
Goa.
Mr. Ramesh Gawas, a school teacher in Bicholim taluka's mining belt and an
activist involved in the "Save Vatadev" campaign to protect one of the last
frontiers of Mother Nature from the onslaught of mining, says that mining
will desertify the green hills for ever. Says he, "We are not fighting
against the mine owners alone. Make no mistake, when one fights against the
mines one actually challenges the State that backs the mining industry to
the hilt."
Yogita Mehra, Associate Fellow of TERI [The Energy & Resources Institute],
Goa presented the findings of a Goa government funded research project
"Iron Ore Mining In Goa." The report deals with "governance in mining" that
includes the policies and management decisions of the various stakeholders
like the Government authorities, the mining companies the Panchayati Raj
Institutions[PRIs] and Civil Society Organisations [CSOs] that impact on the
quality of life in the mining areas and the state.
The report concludes that there is poor to no monitoring and enforcement of
the laws governing mining operations and a total lack of policy. In fact,
the Governments are at the mercy of powerful mining lobby that has a
tremendous economic clout in Goa.
In the above scenario, the mining companies adopt ad hoc solutions to the
issues raised by the people from time to time. There is inadequate
management of the rejection dumps and ore stacks. The problems are
aggravated by the outsourcing of transport [trucks, barges, etc] with no
responsibility for damage done by the BPO units that may be ill-equipped to
deal with issues like ore spillage on the roads, dust pollution, road
accidents, etc. The companies generally suffer from a lack of a clearly
defined policy. The whole industry is driven by a desire to maximize
profitability with little, if any, sense of corporate responsibility.
The local community is not without blame. Neither the PRIs nor the local
community organizations have a long tern vision for the village and its
people. They are happy with the ad hoc compensation with not a thought
spared for what happens when mining operations stop at some point in the
future, as has happened for a number of mines operated in the 1950s and
1960s, that are being re-started now. The local community is not educated on
the laws of the land and are easily tempted by incentives like vehicle loans
and transportation contracts.
We also have two persons who have done their doctoral research on
re-vegetation of mining dumps in Goa. One is at Goa University while the
other is in the Forest Department. There is one classic case of fully
re-vegetated mining rejection dump at Sanquelim/Virdi. It is just 40 Km from
Panaji and has been visited by journalists of the Sanguem-Quepem Patrakar
Sangh recently. Perhaps, other people need to see what a mining company can
do if it has the will and the desire.
We will witness the firewalkers of Sirigao on the just before dawn on 09
May. The festival is of godess Lairaiee , a form of Earth goddess Sateri or
Santeri worshipped as the formless anthill. Lairaiee is associated with the
Sapta Matrika worship. It may be good to connect with it before the
destruction of the earth, begun since iron ore was discovered in the late
1920s , is complete. (ENDS)
The Miguel Braganza weekly column at:
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=482
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The above article appeared in the May 2, 2008 edition of the Gomantak Times,
Goa
