The good, bad and ugly TNN | Apr 22, 2015, 02.00 AM IST Isidore Domnick Mendes
For years, transportation of iron ore, from various mines in Sanguem taluka to offloading at designated places in this village, was the main occupation of nearly 70 percent of its villagers. It is estimated that Sanvordem itself had between 1,500-2,000 trucks and a large number of heavy machinery connected with loading and moving ore. The hustle and bustle came to a complete standstill in October 2012, when the Supreme Court, while taking into account the Shah commission report, banned iron ore mining in Goa. Surrounded by the villages of Dabal (Sanguem), Tilamol-Xeldem (Quepem), Chandor (Salcete), and Panchwadi in Shiroda (Ponda), Sanvordem village in Sanguem taluka is home to around 10,000 residents, of which, around 4,800 are registered voters. Sanvordem has nine panchayat wards and fourteen traditional vaddos including Morailem, Bepquegal, Cariamoddi, Bansai, Pontemol, Cacora, Oddai, Xelvona, Khamamol, Baga-Sanvordem, Dodo-Madel, Periudok, Capxem and Tony Nagar. The Shah commission report had stated that illegal mining worth Rs 35,000 crore had been undertaken during the last 12 years in the state. "In order to get associated with the mining business, many Sanvordemkars had come back from their overseas assignments to Goa for good. But, the closure of mining has engulfed the residents in a financial crisis as many of them had taken loans to buy trucks and machinery. When the mining business was at its peak, there have been instances when many young children demanded that their parents give them a mining truck as a birthday gift," says Fr Jorge Fernandes, assistant parish priest at the 127-year-old Guardian Angel Church, Sanvordem. "The stoppage of mining has completely crippled the economy of Sanvordem. The purchasing power of most residents of the village has decreased drastically and this can be gauged by the dwindling numbers of shoppers. There is no more a mad rush even for the famous Sunday market," says youth leader and music teacher Shelton Fenandes, a resident of Baga vaddo. Concurs Cruz M Coutinho alias 'Mr CM', a noted trumpeter, who has been felicitated with the lifetime achievement award by the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG), "Though I do not have any direct connection with mining, I cannot deny the fact that mining activity had become part and parcel of the existence of the villagers. Even for people hailing from economically-deprived conditions, their standard of living underwent a sea change through construction of newly-built houses and buying swanky two-wheelers and four-wheelers etc". "Excessive human greed which had taken precedence over desirable needs is being labelled as the main reason for its closure. If one had gone slow and steady with iron ore extraction, this activity would have sustained for another two decades. The environment and social guidelines were torn apart as responsible mining took a backseat. In our village, itself, due to reckless mining operations of iron ore being transported and stored, there was dense pollution around-the- clock. During day time, when one wore white or light-coloured attire, it would turn rusty red. Even the face and eyes bore regularly the brunt of dust. In the monsoons, the travails were equally worse as speeding iron ore trucks would splash muddy water on both pedestrians and two-wheelers alike," adds Coutinho, a resident of Morailem vaddo. "Accidents caused due to rash driving by mining truck drivers was the order of the day. Since vehicles used in mining transportation were driven at tearing speeds, they have snuffed out the lives of many two-wheeler riders as well as pedestrians. There was no check or verification of the drivers employed," says Felicidade Pereira of Morailem vaddo. Thirty months of the mining ban has completely frozen the income which these villagers used to earn by operating trucks, heavy machines and service stations. Sadhashiv Kakodar of Cacora, who runs a servicing centre at Bansai, says that work has dwindled drastically. "The unit used to service 20 to 25 trucks on each off day i.e. Sundays. Now, we don't even get one truck per day. Once I had the services of four labourers, now it is even difficult to afford the wages of one employee," he said. Ditto was the fate of owners of heavy machinery owners and trucks. "By taking a bank loan, I had purchased a wheel loader for Rs 36 lakh. There has been no work since the past two-and-half years. The banks are constantly harassing us for its repayment," says Kupeshwar, a resident. Says Satyawan Rama Gaonkar, secretary of South Goa progressive truck owners association, "Despite the trucks becoming stationary since October 2012, truck owners still have to incur annual expenses between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 per year on each truck. They have to pay for insurance renewal, fitness passing certificate, pollution certificate and maintenance related to battery or other parts like tyres etc." Gaonkar says the timely relief of rescuing debt-ridden mining-affected people initiated by nationalized banks like SBI and Corporation Bank through the one-time settlement should be extended by other nationalized banks like Syndicate Bank, Bank of India etc and various cooperative banks in Goa. The Supreme Court of India recently lifted the mining ban by putting a rider of capping it to 20 million tonnes of excavation annually. "The proposed cap of 20 million annual tonnes of iron ore should be increased to 40 million tonnes in order to make this activity a sustaining one. We, the stakeholders, stand for responsible mining," states Gaonkar, who owns three trucks. Decongestion of the village roads from mining traffic is also on the anvil. "The proposed bypass roads connecting Uguem with Capxem and Dabal to Capxem would remove the mining traffic plying on roads used by non-mining civilians," says Gaonkar. The panchayat is abreast with the challenges thrown with the closure of mining. It wants the activity to start in a regulated and responsible way. "Resumption of mining is the need of the hour as our village is dependent on it to a very large extent. This time, it should be done completely in an organized way, within well -defined norms. It should be devoid of greed which unfortunately was the dominant trend pre-October 2012 when the mining ban came into being," says Sanjay Naik, sarpanch. Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar concurs that when mining operations restart, it should be economical as well as responsible. "Government has to take the required steps to start mining. Extra measures like abolishing export duty and other taxes in order to make mining economical would be welcome, because, the international price of iron ore has fallen down. We cannot have unregulated mining anymore as the stakeholders will have to comply with the guidelines set by the Supreme Court," says Gaonkar. There is a consensus among the villagers of Sanvordem that the mining industry in Goa needs to be more conscious and cognizant of its duties and responsibilities towards the upkeep of the environment and eco-friendly balance as well as in evolving the socio-economic factors for the advantage of individuals living in mining areas. Problem Problem No Street Lights After sunset, the roads in this village are enveloped in darkness. "At several places in our village, there are no street lights. If they are installed, they don't function," says Cruz M Coutinho, a resident. Fish Market The fish market in the village lacks in organization and witnesses chaos many a times. "The market is not organized and fisherfolk are seen selling fish almost everywhere," says a resident of the village. Drugs Menace Youth in the village are falling into the deathly trap of drug addiction. "Though our village is not at all a coastal area, where the cases of trafficking and consumption of drugs have been reported in the past, Sanvordem is also becoming a hotbed of illegal activity as its youth are falling into the trap of drugs," says a villager, on condition of anonymity. Trivia Sanvordem has been abode to illustrious children of Goa including late Franklin Fernandes, popularly known as Frank Fernand, the violinist, trumpeter and noted Konkani filmmaker who produced one of the most outstanding movies like 'Amchem Noxib' (Our Luck) and 'Nirmonn' (Destiny). Abdonio Rodrigues, a musical prodigy who plays the trombone and violin, and is now getting known as an excellent drummer, is a resident of the village. Alvito Ronaldo Correia D'Cunha, former Indian footballer, who played for top-most clubs like Sesa, Salgaocar SC and East Bengal, also hails from the village. Top View Resumption of mining is the need of the hour as our village is dependent on it. This time, it should be done completely in an organized way, within well-defined norms Sanjay Naik, sarpanch We cannot have unregulated mining anymore as the stakeholders will have to comply with the guidelines set by the Supreme Court Ganesh Gaonkar, MLA People's take Stoppage of mining has completely crippled the economy of Sanvordem Shelton Fernandes, resident We, the stakeholders, stand for responsible mining Satyawan Gaonkar, resident I took a Rs 36 lakh loan. Banks are constantly harassing us for repayment Kupeshwar, resident Environment and social guidelines were torn apart as responsible mining took a backseat Cruz M Coutinho, resident
