Mining in GOA

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+ The iron ore mines of Goa have been implicated in the destruction of
irreplaceable forests, degradation of agricultural helds, pollution of water
bodies and rivers and sedimentation of the Mandovi and Zuari estuarine
ecosystems. Mining activities have been responsible for damage to the
wildlife sanctuaries, emptying of watersheds, generation of dust and
noise pollution, destruction of public roads, and tremendous increases
in the number of recklessly driven, overloaded trucks on village roads,
turning life for most people in mining villages into an endless nightmare.
+ The mining industry has always assumed the role of Goa's sacred cow:
for four decades, it has fought the implementation of environment laws,
avoided judicial scrutiny, and acted as a tyrant, abusive of those whom
it has sought to evict from its leases. With the ruling political elite hrmly
dependent on its purse strings, there has been no fear of enforcement
authorities.
+ However, for the hrst time in 2004, the Supreme Court intervened and
ordered all mines without environment clearances to close shop. It then
ordered that its stay order would not operate if the mining agencies were
able to get environment clearances.
+ As is to be expected, what could not be done in 40 years, was achieved in
two. The Ministry of Environment and Forests {MoEF) turned the golden
opportunity provided by the Court to effect strict implementation of
the country's environment laws in Goa into a business opportunity for
its bureaucrats and ministers. 'Experts' were recruited and committees
set up to generate 'recommendations', which the MoEF promptly acted
upon to grant environment clearances. Not a single mining project was
rejected. On the contrary, mines with the worst environment records,
those closest to wildlife sanctuaries, those with criminal records, soon
procured environment clearances and temporary working permits. More
than 70 environment clearances were issued en masse. The MoEF simply
joined Goa's mining maha as its closest friend.
+ As a result of this unholy union, the worst environmental assault on the
state of Goa's ecologically fragile areas was legitimised and regularised
by the Ministry. Here is the story. See it with your own eyes and weep.
Then see if you can do your bit to bring this Ministry to its senses before
the fate of Goa {and its people) transcends all hope.
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Published by the Goa Foundation
Contents
9
Part I: A thing of beauty
Goas natural heritage
Goas biodiversity, its ecological endowments and
to an equal extent, its sociable people, all are
being severely assaulted by ecologically destructive
mining. This section introduces the astonishing
beauties of the region being mined.
25 Mining in Goa An historical perspective
26
Part II: Mine, mine, mine
Goas new mantra of greed
The mining industry has been considered Goas
sacred cow: Others call it the backbone of the
Goan economy. The primitive nature of the mining
operations will more easily break the ecological
backbone of the State. This section looks closely at
the principal actors on the mining front.
32
Part III: Wounds on the earth
the effects of mining
The effects of the large-scale mining operations are
ubiquitous and pervasive. This sections shows in
pictures the true horrors of mining operations in
Goa, their impacts on Goas ecosystems and people.
72
Part IV: The blame game
pinning the responsibility
Who are the individuals and departments
responsible for the state of affairs? Can you help
make them listen?
92 Stand up and be counted
Some guidance on a future course of action. Please
try it for Goas sake.
Karnataka
Maharashtra
Mhadei
Bondla
Bhagwan
Mahaveer
Netravali
Cotigao
GOA
This map composites the Portuguese mining map with
satellite images of Goas wildlife sanctuaries / national park,
and graphic map data to depict the boundaries and corridors
of the protected areas. The composite map shows the
location of mines approved by the Ministry of Environment
and Forests within 3 km and 1 km, respectively, of these
sanctuaries. The MoEF has even cleared three mines which
encroach inside one of the sanctuaries.
Sanctuary boundary
1 km buffer
3 km buffer
This old Portuguese mining map of Goa gives the location
of more than 700 mining leases granted by the Portuguese
Government. If all of them are to be entertained, nothing will
be left of the State (and its charms).
List of mining leases whose brutal management practices were legitimised by the Ministry of Environment and Forests when it casually issued more than 70 environment
clearances in two years without visits to sites.
(The table lists villages in which the operating mines are located, dates of public hearings and environment clearances granted.)
Name of mining
lease
T.C. No Name of operator Village and
Taluka
Survey number(s) Area (in
hectares)
Project
cost (in
Rupees)
Date of
public
hearing
Env. Cl.
date
Sancordem
Malpona Mine
19/52,
44/56,
27/53,
39/56
M/s V.M. Salgaocar &
Bros Ltd
P.O. Box No. 14
Vasco da Gama, Goa
Sancordem,
Malpona
Malpona Part of 5, 11, 12,
15 to 17, 19, 20 to 22, 24
& 25, Surla Part of 39, 40,
42 & 43
318.94 1179.89
lakh
Jan 5,
2004
Nov 17,
2005
Copila Gaichem
Paul mine of
Sociedade Timblo
Irmaos Ltd
88/52 Sociedade Fomento
Inds
P.O. Box No. 31,
Villa Flores da Silva,
EC street, Margao,
Goa
Sigao 30 to 34 94 500 lakh Jan 5,
2004
Sep 3,
2007
Santonachi Upri
mine of Zarapkar
& Parkar
34/55 M/s Salgaocar Mining
Industries
Salghaocar Chambers,
Margao, Goa
Dabal part of 3, 4, 17, 18, 19, 161,
258, 169 full 5 to 12, 17
98.3 300 lakh Jan 5,
2004
Oct 28,
2005
Kalay iron ore
mine of N.S.
Narvekar
Inds
(address as given earlier)
Santona 7, 8, 12 to 16, 24, 25 176.76 4.1 crore Jan 8,
2004
May 14,
2007
Saniem iron
ore mine of
M.S.Talaulikar
Inds
Sancordem,
Malpona
40, 50, 52-56, 59 50.3 3.5 lakh Jan 8,
2004
Nov 25,
2005
Tudou iron
ore mine of
Chowgule Co Pvt
40/57,
42/57
Chowgule Co Pvt
Chowgule House,
Mormugao Harbour,
Mormugao, Goa
Tudou 171.86 36 lakh Jan 8,
2004
Mar 22,
2006
Bimbol iron ore
mine of Emco
Goa
23/53,
7/41
Chowgule Co Pvt
Sigao, Mollem
Collem
46.106 47 lakh Jan 12,
2004
Feb 16,
2006
Monte Irangui
iron ore mine
of Roy Antao &
Sane Antao
55/53 Chowgule Co Pvt
Potrem 31.34 4.5 lakh Jan 12,
2004
Jan 12,
2006
Codli Group of
mines
69/51,
70/52,
126/53
Sesa Goa Ltd
Sesa Ghor,
P.O. Box No. 125,
EDC, Patto, Panaji,
Goa
Codli 298.58 75 crore Jan 12,
2004
Sep 6,
2005
Huldol Dongor
(Bimbol mine)
8/41 G.N. Agrawal
Station Road,
P.O. Box No. 107,
Margao, Goa
Sigao 30, 31, 32, 62, 72 97.5 2.38 crore Mar 8,
2004
Oct 26,
2005
Kirlapale iron ore
mine of Ahiliabai
Sardesai
41/54 M/s V.S. Dempo &
Co,
Campal, Panaji, Goa
Carmonem &
Bandoli
35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43 of
Carmonem & 49 to 54 of
Bandoli
85.5 2.86 crore Mar 3,
2004
Nov 17,
2005
Dudhal iron ore
mine
Co (address as given
earlier)
Dudhal &
Maulinguem
44, 48 to 51 of Dudhal &
7, 8, 9 of Maulinguem
32.72 72 lakh Mar 3,
2004
Nov 17,
2005
Colomba iron ore
mine
earlier)
Rivona 109, 115, 127, 128, 131,
132, 134
98.46 2.15 crore Mar 3,
2004
Nov 17,
2005
Curpem iron ore
mine
earlier)
Curpem &
Sulcorna
2, 20, 52, 55, 56, 57 of
Curpem & 11 of Sulcorna
82.5 80 lakh Mar 3,
2004
Nov 17,
2005
Vichundrem iron
ore mine of Hira
Bombo Gauns
earlier)
Vichundrem 1, 12 to 16, 51, 52, 53 100 75 lakh Mar 3,
2004
Nov 17,
2005
Sem
Denominacao
Especial iron ore
mine
5/53 Manuel Da Costa
H. No. 1560,
Curtorim, Goa
Tudou, Patiem 1, 12 to 16, 51, 52, 53 parts
23, 24 of Tudou part of
1/1, 2/0, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3,
5/4, 6/0, 4/0, 8/0, 9/1,
10/0, 11/0, 22/0, 26/0,
27/0
95.09 20 lakh Mar 8,
2004
Sep 30,
2005
Nomoxitembo de
Caurem mine of
M/s Badruddin
Mavani
14/52 M/s Sociedade
Timblo Irmaos
Limitada
P.O. Box No. 34 ,
Kadar Manzil,
Margao, Goa
Colomba &
Sulcorna
Part of 82, 83, 87, 88, 89,
90, 91, 92, 95, 96, 100, 103,
09, 10
71.41 6 crore Mar 8,
2004
Sep 30,
2005
Oikrio Dirodgal
Curdi mine of
Noor M.A. Karim
43/53 M/s Sociedade
Timblo Irmaos
Limitada
Curdi 44, 48, Part of 43, 45, 46,
47, 52,
34.22 1 crore Mar 8,
2004
Sep 30,
2005
Godbaim ou
Cuttiem mine of
C.F. Naik
63/51 M/s Sociedade
Timblo Irmaos
Limitada
Curpem,
Sanguem
Part of 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 1, 2 69.47 50 lakh Mar 8,
2004
Sep 30,
2005
Odamola iron ore
mine of SOVA
Industries
Sangod 7 (1, 2, 3), 9 (1, 2, 3) 85.72 5 crore Jan 5,
2004
Oct 28,
2005,
granted
perm EC
on Oct
23, 2007
Tollem Group of
Mines
19/54,
3/57,
33/57
Kunda R.S. Gharse
Near Municipality
P.O. No. 204,
Margao, Goa
Tudou, Patiem 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19 1, 23, 25,
26 and Part of 2, 22, 20,
18, 20, 24 of Tudou and
3, 4, 49 and Part of 1, 8 of
Patiem
261.792 20 crore Feb 2,
2005
Sep 30,
2005
Chiraband-e-
vall mine of R.R.
Painguinkar
8/50 M/s Sociedade
Timblo Irmaos
Limitada
Patiem,
Uguem
Parts of 5/1, 7, 8, 11, 12/1,
12/2, 13/3, 1/1-6, 15/1,
18/1, 18/2, 19 of Patiem
and parts of 48/1, 48/5,
49/2, 49/3, 52 of Uguem
81.9 1 crore Feb 2,
2005
Sep 30,
2005
Bondra Advona
Curpem iron ore
mine
61/53 Pandurang Timblo
Subhash Timblo
Bhavan,
P.O. Box No. 242,
Margao, Goa
Codli, 1/1, 140, 148, 149, 24, 27,
28, 30, 31
96.28 1.01 crore Feb 2,
2005
Oct 20,
2005
Collem iron ore
mine
30/50 Dr Prafulla R. Hede
Dr Malbarai House,
2nd Floor, Rue Ismael
Gracias, P.B. No. 181,
Panaji, Goa
Collem-
Sanguem
36/1 and 37/1 82.52 23.77
lakh
Feb 2,
2005
Oct 28,
2005
Carea Codilupri
adam Tembo
E Sauripar
(Maulinguem) of
R.T. Duelkar
20/51 Resource International Maulinguem Part of 1 to 5, 7, 8, 19, full
23, 27, 29, 30
87.21 Feb 2,
2005
Sep 17,
2007
Name of mining
lease
Taluka
hectares)
Project
cost (in
Rupees)
Date of
public
hearing
Env. Cl.
date
Mortegal Mordi
mine of Vincente
Fernandes
68/53 M/s Sociedade
Timblo Irmaos
Limitada
Uguem Parts of 41, 42/1 to 42/8,
43, 44/1, to 44/11, 42/2 to
5, 46/0
70.46 16 lakh Feb 2,
2005
Dec 26,
2005
Sancordem iron
ore mine
29/55 Atchut V.S. Velingkar
Veling, Post Mardol,
Goa
Aglote,
Sanguem
Part of 13, 17, 18 47.72 75.89
lakh
Feb 2,
2005
Dec 26,
2005
Shakti Bauxite
mine
25/68 Pravin Kumar Gosalia Betul,
Maqueri,
Morplq, Velim,
Fatorpa,
Quepem
826.15 55.11
lakh
Feb 2,
2005
June 15,
2006
Gotukwade-cho
Temb iron ore
mine
50/58 Smt Shakuntala Rege Collem Part of 27 to 29 33.25 24.4 lakh Feb 2,
2005
Aug 25,
2006
Surla Sonshi
iron ore mine
5/54,
20/54,
21/54
M/s V.S. Dempo &
earlier)
Surla sonshi,
Vonvoilem
253.393 19.84
crore
Dec 8,
2003
Nov 17,
2005
Bicholim iron ore
mine
11/41,
12/41,
13/41,
14/41,
15/41
M/s V.S. Dempo &
earlier)
Lamgao,
Mayem,
Bordem,
Mulgao and
Sirigao
479 13.54
crore
Dec 8,
2003
Nov 17,
2005
Band Don Col
iron ore mine
2/
Fe/71
M/s Damodar
Mangalji
Damodar Niwas,
M.G. Road,
P.B. Box No. 32,
Panaji, Goa
Pissurlem,
Sattari
11 to 13, 18, 9, 41 to 44 18.47 15 lakh Dec 8,
2003
Sep 30,
2005
Deulem
Pissurlem iron
ore mine
70/51 M/s R.S. Shetye
Trionara
Pissurlem,
Sattari
39 to 43, 11, 18, 19 99.47 3.55 crore Dec 8,
2003
Sep 30,
2005
Sirigao iron ore
mine
5/49,
13/49
Chowgule Co Pvt
Sirigao,
Mayem
75.25 1.15 crore Dec 8,
2003
Dec 27,
2005
Vaguriem iron
ore mine
Vaguriem 3, 12, 16 to 20, 26 to 30 62.26 45 lakh Dec 8,
2003
Jan 5,
2006
Dignem iron ore
mine
92/52 M/s Sociedade
Timblo Irmaos
Limitada (address as
given earlier)
Cudnem,
Bicholim
Parts of 150 to 159 43.136 3 crore Dec 8,
2003
Sep 30,
2005
Cazreachem
Culna Iron ore
Mine (Cudnem)
of Shri Raghuvir
Sinai Gharse at
Bicholim
51/52 M/s V.M. Salgaocar&
Bros Ltd
P. O. Box No.14
Vasco da Gama, Goa
Cudnem 97, 98, 102, 106, 107 and
101, 108
79.53 73.96
lakh
Apr 20,
2005
Mar 23,
2006
Guelliem-e-
Gaval iron ore
mine (Pissurlem)
Sattari North
Inds (address as given
earlier)
Pissurlem,
Bicholim
32 to 36, 38, 41 87.55 4.0 crore Apr 20,
2005
Jan 17,
2007
Gaval Sonshi iron
ore mine of M/s
Cosme Costa &
Sons (Pissurlem)
Sattari North
110/53 Sesa Goa Ltd
Pissurlem,
Bicholim
41/1 62 12.5 crore Apr 25,
2005
Sep 4,
2006
Pale iron ore
mine Mati
(Cudnem) Mine
Bicholim
31/53,
41/56
Chowgule Co Pvt
Pale, Velguem
and Poncem,
Bicholim
Pale 24, 27 to 31, Velguem
37 and 77 Poncem 7, 11,
12 & Parts of 4 to 6, 8, 10,
13, 14
152.63 61.94
lakh
Apr 20,
2005
Nov 24,
2006
Velguem/Surla
iron ore mine
Mati (Cudnem)
Mine Bicholim
83/52,
29/54,
19/58,
M/s V. M. Salgaocar
& Bros Ltd
Velguem,
Surla, Sonus,
Vonvoilem
Part 32 to 38 & 61 of
Velguem, Part 160, 161,
162, 166, 167, 171, 174,
180, 181, 182, 199, 200,
201, 210, 213,
216, 217, 224, 228, 229,
232, 233 & full 163, 164,
165, 183 to 190 & 202 to
209, 211, 212, 218 to 223,
225 to 227, 428 of Surla
Part 6, 10, 11, 13, 29, 31,
32, 35, 37 full 33, 34, 36
of Sanguem
286.693 204.48
lakh
Apr 20,
2005
Mar 28,
2006
Gavanem iron
ore mine (Xelpo
Curado) Sattari
North
Xelpo, Curado 9, 12 to 25 100 34.44
lakh
Apr 20,
2005
Aug 17,
2006
Onda iron ore
mine
Cudnem &
Onda, Sattari
103 of Cudnem, 123-143
of Onda
74.61 1.06 lakh Apr 20,
2005
Aug 17,
2006
Purmar-e-
Parvodet of
Sallitho ores
Pvt Ltd Mati
(Cudnem) Mine
Bicholim
Industries
Pale 63, 64 94.6 5.28 crore Apr 25,
2005
May 10,
2007
Sonshi iron ore
mine Sattari
North
16/55 V.G. Quenin Sonus,
Vonvoilem
56.79 1.15 crore Apr 20,
2005
May 18,
2006
Sanquelim Group
of mines
9/49,
10/49,
3/54
Sesa Goa Ltd
Maulinguem 17, 18, parts of 2, 4 to 13,
19, 20, 23 to 28 and 30
203.54 1.79 crore Apr 25,
2005
Jul 6,
2007
Sigao iron ore
mine Sanguem,
Goa
47/54,
50/53,
13/55,
M/s V.M. Salgaocar
& Bros Ltd (address as
given earlier)
Sigao 21, 23, 30, 31 and 34 full
24 to 29
174.41 77.49
lakh
May 5,
2005
Mar 28,
2006
Vangi Bindi
Advona (Fe/
Mn) iron ore
mine at Sulcorna
Sanguem, Goa
10/51 M/s Haidar Kasim
Khan
Govt Hospital Road
Kakoda
Curchorem, Goa
Vichundrem
Sulcorna
17, 51 of Vichundrem
16, 11 of Sulcorna
83.06 2.0 crore May 5,
2005
Feb 15,
2006
Costi iron ore
mine Sanguem,
Goa of Chowgule
& Co Ltd
22/50,
38/51,
12/57
Chowgule Co Pvt
Costi 2, 4, 8, 9, 11 to 14, 2, 4, 24,
49, 51, 1, 13, 14, 15
127.92 58.67
lakh
Jun 15,
2005
Dec 1,
2006
Costi iron ore
mine (Santona,
Dudhal)
Sanguem, Goa of
V.D. Chowgule
40/50,
16/51
Chowgule House,
Mormugao Harbour,
Mormugao, Goa
Santona/
Dudhal
39, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48,
49, 50 and 51 of Santona
54 to 63 of Dudhal
167.78 46.43
lakh
Jun 15,
2005
Nov 27,
2006
Name of mining
lease
Taluka
hectares)
Project
cost (in
Rupees)
Date of
public
hearing
Env. Cl.
date
Suctolim Iron ore
mine Sanguem,
Goa
Sangod 1/2, 2/1, 3/1, 3/2, 8/1,
8/2 Parts of 1/1, 3/1,
4/1, 4/2, 6/4, 7/1,
9/1, 92/1
99.6 55.12
lakh
May 12,
2005
May 18,
2006
Shigao (Advona
Toleamati E
Galiguro) iron
ore mine 87/53
Sanguem Goa
Sigao
Sanguem
31/1, 33/1, 33/2, 34/1,
35/1, 60/1, 60/2, 60/3,
61/1, 62/1, 63/1,
64/1, 65/1
50.4 63.5 lakh May 12,
2005
Jul 13,
2006
Corpedegal iron
ore mine of R.V.S.
Velingkar
24/57 R.V.S. Velingkar
Veling, Ponda, Goa
Sanguem
Dharbandora,
137 to 140, Part of 131, 133
to 136, 141, 143, 146, 148
59.65 51.2 lakh May 12,
2005
Feb, 2007
Borchi Mordi iron
ore mine of G.N.
Agrawal
Inds
Maina,
Quepem
3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and Part of 1,
2, 5, 6
92.243 2.0 crore Aug 31,
2005
Dec 22,
2006
Gogoro Ou
Gulcan Dongor
mine of Hiralal
Khodidas
Inds
Colomba,
Sanguem
Parts of 42 to 46, 54 to 59,
67 to 70
70.18 2.5 crore Aug 31,
2005
Mar 12,
2007
Navelem Dongor
Manganese mine
of Ashok P.
Kuchadkar
53/52 Ashok P. Kudchadkar,
Opp Railway Station,
Curchorem, Goa
Curpem,
Colomba,
Sulcorna in
Sanguem
73 part (Colomba), 2 part
(Curpem), 10 part and 11
part, Sulcorna
31.43 15 lakh Sep 14,
2005
Aug 17,
2006
Suktoli iron
ore mine of
Gasa Goa Ltd
Chimatevalavorli
Industries
Sangod 1, 38, 85, 86, 87, 88, 91
to 95
96.85 3.20 crore Sep 21,
2005
Jun 7,
2007
Madiencho Sodo
iron ore mine of
M/s Nalini V.
Naik
Industries
Sangod,
Sanguem
30, 31, 32, 35 to 39, 87, 88 98.2 3.40 crore Sep 21,
2005
Jul 23,
2007
M/s Marzook
and Cadar Pvt ltd
at Dharbandora
village in
Sanguem Taluka
Industries
Dharbandora 121 to 132, 135, 136 65.23 7.60 crore Jul 21,
2005
May 10,
2007
M/s Timblo Pvt.
Ltd, Gaotone,
Dusrifal, Codli
14/58 Sesa Goa Ltd
Codli/
Sanguem
24, 29, 30, 35, 36, 30/30 40.76 8.75 crore May 12,
2005
Jul 5,
2007
M/s Ralph De
Souza,Vagler,
Shismamordi,
Sangod, Village,
Sanguem
Industries
Sangod/
Sanguem
part of 57 to 63 96.48 3.90 crore May 12,
2005
May 10,
2007
M/s Gajanan S
Padiar Vagxe-
po Molcornem
Fe-Mn
DandoAmabeya
Temb
1/Fe.
Mn/78
M/s Gajanan S Padiar
House No. 121,
Paroda, Goa
Molcornem,
Quepem
86 to 91, 104 to 111, 114,
117
65.24 May 5,
2005
Jun 27,
2007
Nirankal (EM
GUDI MOLA)
Iron ore Mine of
Smt Sudha M.
Goundalkar
95/53 M/s Velingkar
Brothers
IVlh oor, DaIaI
Comml Complex,
Near Hari Mandir,
Margao, Goa
Nirankal/
Ponda
114, 115, 151 to 156 and
Part of 116, 147, 150, 157
and 158
85.55 35.82
lakh
Jun 12,
2005
Jun 27,
2007
Marsodo Iron
ore Mine of
M/s Damodar
Mangalji & Co
Ltd
95/52 M/s Damodar
Mangalji
Damodar Niwas,
M.G. Road,
P.B. Box No. 32,
Panaji, Goa
Pissurlem/
Sattari
6 to 22 and 43 to 45 98.37 70 lakh Apr 9,
2007
Gavanem iron ore
mine (Dhangar-
wado Xelpencho
Sodo)
31/55 M/s Chowgule & Co
Pvt
Xelpo Curado,
Ambelim &
Gavanem
Villages
in Sattari
Taluka
Part of 93, 96, 97, 98 of
Netorlim and Part of 5,
35, 36 of Vichundrem
98 13.92
lakh
Jun 12,
2005
May 17,
2007
Monte Udo iron
& manganese
ore mine of M/s
Chowgule & Co
Ltd
Pvt
Rivona/
Sanguem
88, 92, 95, 109 to 113 and
136
74.005 31.59
lakh
Jul 5,
2006
Jun 7,
2007
Khuntie Moll iron
and manganese
ore mine
Pvt
Sulcorna/
Quepem and
Curpem and
Vichundrem
in Sanguem
11, 14 to 17 of Sulcorna,
2 of Curpem and
51 of Vichundrem
99.33 43.46
lakh
Jul 5,
2006
May 17,
2007
Cavrem iron and
manganese ore
mine
Pvt
Colomba/
Sanguem
72, 73, 77 to 89, 92 to 96,
101, 102 and 121
99.82 19.28
lakh
Jul 5,
2006
Jul 27,
2007
Vansvola Tembo
ou ximevoril
dongor
Vichundrem iron
ore mine
67/52 Atchut V.S. Velingkar
Veling, Post Mardol,
Goa
Netorlim/
Sanguem
Part of 93, 96, 97, 98 of
Netorlim and
Part of 5, 35, 36
of Vichundrem
42.97 13.92
lakh
Jul 5,
2006
Jun 27,
2007
Carpadegga
(Codli) iron ore
mine
25/56 Xec Mustafa Cadar Codli/
Sanguem
30 to 34 40.29 31 lakh Dec 12,
2006
Oct 24,
2007
Tembeachem
Dongor iron ore
mine
51/51 Jairam B. Neugui Maina,
Canvorem,
Rivona in
Quepem and
Sanguem
7, 66 and 77of Maina, 34,
35, 36 of Cavorem
and 168/1 and 168/3 of
Rivona
99.37 20 lakh Dec 12,
2006
Sep 18,
2007
Polo Dongor
iron ore mine
at Curpem
Sanguem South
Goa
65/51 Ms G.F. Figueiredo
LH of Late Amalia
R.G. Figueiredo,
H. No. 2730,
Murida, Fatorda,
Margao, Goa
Curpem/
Sanguem
Part of 1, 2, 5 and 8 58.27 30 lakh Jan 31,
2007
Jul 18,
2007
Borga iron ore
mine consisting
of Borga
Dongrachem Fall
mine
and Oiteiro Borga
do
Bairo Queri
29/52,
34/50
Pandurang Timblo
Industries
Rivona/
Sanguem
73, 74, 75, 150, 151, 152
and Part of 30, 31,
72, 76, 77, 149, 153, 154,
174, 189, 196
168.698 60 lakh Jan 31,
2007
Jul 26,
2007
Year of
proposal
Project details Received
on
Status
2007 Project No:J-11015/479/2006-IA.II(M)
Project Name: Madachem Bat iron ore mine
District:North Goa
Village:Pale Bicholim
Company:M/s Madachem Bat Pvt Limited
Aug 30,
2007
Proposal is reconsidered in the meeting held on November
12-14, 2007
2006 Project No:No.J-11015/305/2006-IA.II(M)
Project Name: Callanichomato de Oilomeoi
Iron Ore Mining Project
District:North Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Tithoferro Bicholim Bardez
Oct 25, 2006 Additional information sought by the Ministry is awaited.
Proposal is likely to be considered in the forthcoming meeting
of the Expert Committee (Mining) scheduled for December
14-15, 2006. The committees recommend the project.
Project Name: Marsodo Iron Ore Mining
Project
District:North Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Damodar Mangalji and Co
Oct 25, 2006 Proposal was considered in the meeting of the Expert
Committee (Mining) held on November 16-17, 2006.
Information sought by the expert committee received on Jan
12, 2007.
Project Name: Tolem de Quela Keli Iron Ore
Mine
District:North Goa
Village:Thivim, Pirna Bardez
Company:M/s Salgaocar Mining Industries
Pvt. Ltd.
Sep 18, 2006 Additional information sought by the Ministry is awaited.
Proposal is likely to be considered in the forthcoming meeting
of the Expert Committee (Mining) scheduled for November
16-17, 2006.
Project Name: Careacodil Upsi Alamturbo E
Sauipas (Maulingaeu) Iron Ore Mining Project
District: South Goa
Village:
Company:
Sep 1, 2006 Additional information sought by the Ministry is awaited.
Project Name: Cavrem Dongor Iron &
Manganese Mine
District:South Goa
Village:
Company:M/s V.D. Chowgule
Aug 4, 2006 Additional information sought by the Ministry received
on Aug 22, 2006. Proposal considered in the meeting of
the Expert Committee (Mining) held on December 14-15,
2006. The proposal was deferred for recommendation on
submission of additional information.
Project Name: Pola Dongor Manganese Mine
District:South Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Shri Xec Abdul Gofur
Aug 4, 2006 Additional information sought by the Ministry awaited.
Project Name: Aili Vagruem Iron and
Manganese Mine
District:South Goa
Village:Sacorda/ Sanguem
Company:M/s Elray Minerals
July 19,
2006
Additional information sought by the Ministry awaited.
Project Name: Vagxep Anabeya Tempto
Molcornem Iron and Manganese Ore Mining
Project
District:South Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Gajanana P. Adiar
July 18,
2006
Project was received incomplete for want of approval letter of
IBM. Additional information sought by the Ministry received
on -----. Proposal is likely to be considered in the forthcoming
meeting of the Expert Committee (Mining) scheduled for
November 16-17, 2006.
Project Name: Coti Donger, Pirla Mine
District:South Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Virginia Maria Simoes
Apr 10,
2006
Additional information sought by Ministry awaited.
Project Name: Orasso Dongur Iron Ore
Mining Project
District:North Goa
Village:Advalpal/Moietem
Company:M/s Sesa Goa
Mar 31,
2006
Additional information sought by Ministry received
alongwith the project. The proposal is yet to be considered
by the Expert Committee (Mining). Proposal is likely to
be considered in the forthcoming meeting of the Expert
Committee (Mining) scheduled for September 18-20, 2006.
Project Name: Gautona Dusrifall mine
District:South Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Timblo Private Ltd.
Mar 27,
2006
Additional information sought by Ministry received on Aug
3, 2006. Proposal is likely to be considered in the forthcoming
meeting of the Expert Committee (Mining) scheduled for
September 18-20, 2006
Project Name: Oilem Arvalem Mine
District:North Goa
Village:Arvalem
Company:M/s H.L. Nathurmal
Mar 24,
2006
Additional information sought by Ministry received on
May 2, 2006. Proposal was considered in the meeting of the
Lxerl Commillee (Mining) on }uIy 18-2O, 2OO6. CIarihcalion
sought by the Expert Committee received on August 17, 2006.
Submitted for order on January 9, 2007.
2006 Project No:J-11015/40/2006-IA.II(M)
Project Name: Monte De Singao Mine
District:North Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Rajaram Bandakar (Sirigao)
Mines Pvt. Ltd.
Feb 15, 2006 AddilionaI informalion 1cIarihcalion received on Ieb 27, 2OO6.
Proposal was considered in the Expert Committee (Mining) on
June 15-16, 2006. Further necessary action is being taken.
2006 Project No:J-11015/28/2006-IA-II(M)
Project Name: Sanquelim Iron Ore Mine
District:North Goa
Village:
Company:M/s Sesa Goa
Jan 31, 2006 AddilionaI informalion 1cIarihcalion received on Ieb 23, 2OO6.
Proposal was considered in the Expert Committee (Mining) on
June 15-16, 2006. Under submission for orders on Sep 6, 2006.
Project Name: Jaquelar On Jacclevicho Mallo
Iron Ore Mine, MLArea: 99.45 haProd. Cap.:
0.8 MTPA
District:North Goa
Village:Pale Bicholim
Company:M/s Tandekar Bros. (P) Ltd.
Sep 29, 2005 Additional information received on October 31, 2005. The
project considered by the Expert Committee (Mining) meeting
held on January 10-12, 2006. Inf. Sought by EC(M) received on
Feb 10, 2006. On the observation of the competent authority
report on environmental issues raised during the public
hearing sought from the State Pollution Control Board on
July 25, 2006. Information Goa State Pollution Control Board
received on August 21, 2006.
Mining projects in the pipeline
for environment clearances
As on January 3, 2008
GOA
Sweet Land of Mine
"When we destroy something man-made and replaceable, we
are called vandals. When we destroy something irreplaceable
and made by God, we are called developers."
Joseph Wood Krutch
Indias Environment Ministry
abandons Goa to its mining maha
and legitimises decades of deadly
environment destruction
Goa: Sweet Land of Mine
Content: Claude Alvares with Reboni Saha
Inputs: Nitin Naik, Nirmal Kulkarni, Kalpesh M. Patel, Rahul Alvares,
Sandeep Azrencar, Rajendra P. Kerkar, Savio Fernandes, Suneel
Korajkar, Aaron Lobo, Carl DSilva, Amrut Singh, Jamshed Madon,
Luis Velho, Judith Almeida, Lambert Almeida, Heraclio Fernandes,
Carlos Gracias, Ramesh Bandekar, Abhijit Prabhudesai (all members
of the Goa Wildlife Group of the Goa Foundation), Ramesh Gauns,
Sushant Naik, Gerard D Sa, Roy Fernandes
Book design and layout: Aniruddha Sen Gupta
Publication date: January 2008
ISBN No: 81-85569-77-0
Website: www.goacom.org/goafoundation
Proceeds from the sale of this volume go to a special fund within the
Goa Ioundalion sel aside lo hghl lhe environmenlaIIy deslruclive
practices of the mining industry in the state.
Printed by the Goa Foundation at New Vision Printing Service Pvt. Ltd.,
36, Design House, Pilerne Indl. Estate, P.O. Saligao, Bardez, Goa 403 511
Ior mosl eoIe acquainled vilh Goa, lhe iclure of lhe region
lhal immedialeIy comes lo lheir mind is of ils grand beaches. This
book lakes you avay from lhe beaches, lo lhe inlerior beIl of Goa
vhich comrises lhe amazing Weslern Ghals. According lo aII scienlihc
oinion IocaI, nalionaI, inlernalionaI lhe Weslern Ghals are one of
lhe 12 ecoIogicaI hol sols of lhe Ianel in lerms of lheir enormous
biodiversily of Ianl and animaI Iife.
Hovever, lhis area has seen lhe sleady increase of slri mining vhich has
nov laken on lhe roorlions of an eidemic induced by lhe induslriaI
deveIomenl of aII counlries China! India is aroving lhe graduaI
dismanlIing of Goa's Weslern Ghals for lhe deveIomenl of China's sleeI
induslry since lhe money is simIy loo good!
This book reIales lhe slory of hov lhe Minislry of Invironmenl and Ioresls mandaled
by IarIiamenl vilh lhe lask of rolecling lhe environmenl, foresls and viIdIife and ils
ociaIs and exerl commiuees, logelher vilh lhe agencies of lhe Goa Governmenl, have
ranged lhemseIves vilh Goa's mining maha and abdicaled lheir resonsibiIily lo ensure
resonsibIe mining. More lhan 30 years of irresonsibIe and environmenlaIIy deslruclive
mining (iclures of vhich comrise lhis enlire book) have been reguIarised and Iegilimised
by lhe Minislry of Invironmenl vhich has nov gol inlo lhe dirly habil of roulineIy and
shameIessIy converling every environmenlaI and foresl cIearance inlo a ma|or business oorlunily.
The book has been ul logelher lo enabIe cilizens across lhe gIobe lo make lheir ovn assessmenl
of lhe cuIabiIily of lhe ociaIs invoIved nol |usl in lhe deslruclion of Goa and ils viIdIife and
foresls bul of lhe biodiversily of lhe Ianel as veII. We veIcome ils readers lo make lheir concerns
urgenlIy feIl vilh lhe secihc aulhorilies Iisled on ils hnaI ages.
Contents
9
Part I: A thing of beauty
Goas natural heritage
Goas biodiversity, its ecological endowments and
to an equal extent, its sociable people, all are
being severely assaulted by ecologically destructive
mining. This section introduces the astonishing
beauties of the region being mined.
25 Mining in Goa An historical perspective
26
Part II: Mine, mine, mine
Goas new mantra of greed
The mining industry has been considered Goas
sacred cow: Others call it the backbone of the
Goan economy. The primitive nature of the mining
operations will more easily break the ecological
backbone of the State. This section looks closely at
the principal actors on the mining front.
32
Part III: Wounds on the earth
the effects of mining
The effects of the large-scale mining operations are
ubiquitous and pervasive. This sections shows in
pictures the true horrors of mining operations in
Goa, their impacts on Goas ecosystems and people.
72
Part IV: The blame game
pinning the responsibility
Who are the individuals and departments
responsible for the state of affairs? Can you help
make them listen?
92 Stand up and be counted
Some guidance on a future course of action. Please
try it for Goas sake.
Open-cast or strip mining is one of the most
destructive forms of industrial activity in the world.
In many areas of the planet, companies have replaced
the method with better practices like room and pillar
extraction, which does not envisage destruction of
forests or destruction of nature on the surface. Mining
practice in Goa has remained a primitive operation of
robber barons for several years.
Today, more than 40 mining leases operate in forested
areas of the State. They require the destruction of
forests on private properties or government-owned
forests. Most mining operations are within the
ecologically sensitive area of the Western Ghats.
Talukas like Sanguem in which many mining leases
have been approved are thickly forested.
Majority of the government forests allowed for
mining have in facl aIready been nolihed as reserve
forests to bring them within the protection of the
Indian Forest Act, 1927. That protection, however, has
not been a bar to their destruction at the hands of the
mining industry and government.
Worse, the environment clearances granted have
legitimised bad mining, allowing the mines to
continue with a business as usual attitude.
These clearances were issued ostensibly on the
recommendations of expert committees headed by
chairpersons from the mining industry or mining
sector of government.
None of the clearances was granted after a site visit to
verify the truth of the application, or to at least check
out what was being approved.
As a result, mines that should have been halted were
allowed to continue; the assault on ground water
was further legitimised; dust and noise pollution
increased many-fold; and, the fact that one could get
environment clearances at the drop of a hat provoked
many others to queue up.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests simply
squandered a golden opportunity to bring mining
in Goa under the stringent provisions of the
Environment Protection Act, 1986.
7
8
For this, the Goans roundly curse the Ministry of
Environment and its expert committees for abdicating
all responsibility and abandoning the people and
their environment to an abysmal fate. Unable to
bring to a halt the destructive mining that has now
been legalised by the MoEF, the Goans are forced to
take to the streets, wondering at the display of rank
incompetence, carelessness and lack of concern from
the expert committees.
In many areas, it is perhaps already too late to reverse
the situation, as gross, irreparable damage has already
been done to the ecosystems. But there are other
pristine areas where the nightmare is yet to start
or is just beginning. Many applications still await
environment clearance or lease renewals.
Hence this book, written undoubtedly in anger and
rage, also contains one last desperate plea to those in
authority.
9
A lhing
of beauly
Goas natural
heritage
9
10
Now increasingly
bloodied by
the scourge of
indiscriminate
mining
11
Right: Raising food without harming
ecology - temporary paddy helds
created out of the beds of rivers year
after year.
Below: The amazing green carpet of
the Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary.
Above: One of Goas splendid
churches serving peaceable
communities that have built their
economies on sustainable use of
natural resources.
Goa is a land of rich, natural assets. Besides the beaches
which most people link it with, it also embraces rivers
and lakes, hills and plateaus, pristine forests and helds.
All packed by nature into one of Indias smallest states
11
12
These ancienl and ecuIiar
mounlain forms, found
vilhin lhe Mhadei WiId-
Iife Sancluary, are unique
lo lhis arl of lhe Weslern
Ghals.
12
13
Left: the Surla waterfalls water is
an intrinsic part of Goas natural glory.
The annual monsoon brings a thousand
waterfalls (dobdobos) into play.
13
14
The Western Ghats
the most important
topographic feature and
principal watershed of
peninsular India are
acknowledged as one of
just 12 biodiversity hot
spots found on the planet.
The Ghats run down Goas
eastern margins the full
stretch north to south.
14
15
The awesome protection afforded by the natural vegetation of
the Ghats enables water to percolate underground and then
appear in the form of natural springs and streams. Over the
past several centuries, Goan communities have harvested these
valer bodies lo creale a nelvork of roduclive addy heIds
and plantations, hardly conscious of ores lying below.
15
16
Bird diversity is so enchanting that
Goa is one of the major bird-watching
tourism sites in the world. Every year,
hundreds of tourists arrive here with
binoculars and bird data books to enjoy
a veritable feast of bird sightings.
16
17
From salt water muggers to exquisite snakes, butterhies and frogs: this is a rich
ecology, to be guarded with better protection than given to vaults of gold. At the
beaches, Olive Ridley turtles excavate the pits they need to lay their eggs. The
region meets all the 12 criteria decided by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
for identifying it as ecologically sensitive. The proposal to declare 8,000 sq km of
this region as the Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area (SESA) is pending with the
Environment Ministry for over two years.
17
18
New species identihed
A new species of legless amphibian, commonly known as immandehavu,
has been discovered in the vicinity of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. The
research was undertaken by a team consisting of Dr Gopalakrishna Bhat,
retired Professor of Zoology, Dinesh K.P., Zoological Survey of India,
Kozhikodu, Prashanth P. Agumbe, Rainforest Research Station, and Nirmal
Kulkarni from Goa. Dr Bhat and his team encountered three specimens of this
species in July 2006 on the bank of one of the tributaries of the river Mhadei.
A research paper about the discovery has been published in the November
2007 edition of `Current Science', an internationally reputed scientihc journal.
The new species has been named Gegeneophis mhadeiensis after the river
Mhadei. The Mhadei river (also spelt as Mahadayi = great mother) originates
in the lush forested hills at Jamboti Ghat in the Khanapur taluka of Karnataka.
!t hows westward for about 35 km in Karnataka and then some 52 km in Goa
before joining the Arabian Sea.
Apodans/caecilians, which are fairly well represented in the forested
areas, are often mistaken for snakes by the lay observer. Legless, secretive,
nocturnal, burrowing, earthworm/snake-like amphibians, they are among the
key bio-indicators of a healthy environment. As amphibians live both in water
and on land, they are the hrst to respond to changes in the environment.
Dr Bhats team has earlier discovered three other new species of these
creatures in the region Gegeneophis nadkarnii from Bondla Wildlife
Sanctuary, Goa; Gegeneophis madhavaorum from Mookambika Wildlife
Sanctuary, Karnataka; and Gegeneophis goaensis from Sankli-Kheri, Goa.
Discoveries keep adding to our
knowledge of the actual number of
species in this area. Given alongside
is a recent example...
18
19
The extent of diversity applies
especially to the plant world. Many
of the species are endemic to this
region only, and several are used by
local people in a variety of ways.
Macaranga peltata contains an
anti-coagulant, anti-inhammatory,
anti-fungal, hepatoprotective,
neuroprotective and anti-ulcer
compound called bergenin. Snap
open a twig, rub the inner pith with
the outer stem and make instant
glue! It is used by locals to seal cuts.
Local knowledge of the benehcial
use of the myriad variety of plants
is commonplace. Goans know their
plants and their uses better than
botany professors. That is why they are
concerned that these plants which thrive
in Goas natural landscapes must not
disappear.
20
Far left: A foxtail-type hower, Noullava
spicata, known locally as wagahati
or wakeri. The plant is important for
several species of butterhies, and is
used medicinally by local villagers.
Middle and near left: The luminous
white Strobilanthes exiocephalus hower,
locally called karavi. The species
howers once in seven years and dies
after howering. The howers contain
large quantities of nectar, and beehives
thrive during the howering period.
Below: A lonesome hower, born to
blush unseen on a mining dump.
Commonly called ran bhendi, its
botanical name is Hibiscus tetraphilus.
Its tenacious growth in adverse
circumstances is symbolic of how nature
is holding on in spite of mans ravages.
In the coastal stretches, mangroves
cram every bit of available space,
maintaining the environments that
hsh require to spawn and breed.
21
From the Ghats
to the edge of
the sea, some of
Goas rivers and
water bodies still
manage to retain
their pristine
quality, serving
plant, animal and
human life.
21
22
On the strong basis provided by these natural gifts has
been raised a culture that is identihed as the Goan way
of life: dont worry, nature will always provide.
Goan hshermen operate their canoe,
using traditional nets staked in the
Nandovi river bed to catch hsh.
Right: Heritage mansions rehect the
Portuguese inhuence of 500 years.
Far right: Rock paintings of Goas
ancestors have now been declared a
protected site (but are located on an
existing mining lease).
22
23
Clockwise from left: Toddy tappers
and potters continue to eke out a living
using traditional technologies, while the
processing of rice is a major occupation
involving hundreds of women. The
future of agriculture, though, is bleak in
an economy dominted by mining.
Right: Clams and their harvesting
are a major source of income, but
the operation of the mines has led
to heavy siltation of the river beds,
drastically reducing clam populations
and threatening this source of livelihood
for locals.
24
Lush paddy helds
sustainably
harvested for
centuries now
fatally threatened
by mining an
unsustainable
industry,
destined to last a
couple of decades
at best.
24
25
Mining
An historical
perspective
Goa has been cursed
vilh deosils of iron, manga-
nese and bauxile ores.
The economicaIIy vaIuabIe
deosils of lhese are exhausl-
ed. OnIy lhe Iov-grade ones
remain. These can be Iun-
dered because of Goa's rox-
imily lo lhe sea, vhich makes
easy exorl of even such Iov
grades ossibIe. The Iover
lhe grade, lhe Iarger lhe quan-
lilies of earlh lhal musl be
mined, hence lhe grealer lhe
environmenlaI imacl. IarIier,
lhe ralio of mud/overburden
lo ore vas 3 : 1, nov il is 4 : 1.
The former coIoniaI Iorlu-
guese Governmenl handed
oul over 700 ieces of aer
caIIed mining 'concessions' lo
various individuaIs lo con-
ducl simIe, surface-IeveI,
manuaI oeralions lo exlracl
vhalever ores lhey couId hnd
(see lhe ma of mining Ieases
eIsevhere in lhis book). These
'concessions' vere granled
'in ereluily'. eing manuaI
oeralions, lhey vere granled
vilhoul any consideralion
lheir oeralions vouId have
on lhe environmenl. Never
vas il envisaged lhal mecha-
nised over vouId be used
on lhese concessions and lhal
mining vouId go beIov lhe
valer labIe or require exlen-
sive demoIilion of foresls in
lhe Weslern Ghals or Iarge-
scaIe deslruclion of roduc-
live agricuIlure.
In 1987, lhe Indian IarIiamenl
assed a seciaI Iav aboIish-
ing lhe mining concessions
of Goa, converling lhem inlo
mining Ieases under lhe con-
lroI of India's mineraI exlrac-
lion and environmenl Iavs.
Desile lhis, lhe rovisions of
lhe Waler IoIIulion ConlroI
Acl (1974), lhe Air IoIIulion
ConlroI Acl (1981), lhe Ioresl
Conservalion Acl (1980) and
lhe Invironmenl Iroleclion
Acl (1986) vere never imIe-
menled by any of lhe aulhori-
lies vhen lhe mines came u
for lheir hrsl ermissions aher
lhe 1987 Acl vas nolihed.
In 1994, lhe Minislry of In-
vironmenl issued ils Invi-
ronmenl Imacl Assessmenl
(IIA) nolihcalion for environ-
menl cIearance bul resisled
imIemenling il for Goa's
mines. Il vas onIy a elilion
hIed by lhe Goa Iounda-
lion direclIy in lhe Sureme
Courl in 2004 lhal forced lhe
Minislry lo ensure lhal min-
ing oeralions vouId nov be
done aher rearalion of IIA
sludies and Ians.
ul did lhe Sureme Courl or-
der reaIIy make a dierence`
Read on lo hnd oul.
26 26
27
Mine,
mine,
mine!
Goas latest
mantra of greed
27
28
The bloody trail of mining begins at the
mine pits gouged out of the Goan earth,
and follows the ore-laden trucks and
barges to the ships at Mormugao port.
29
Fuelled by the need to feed
the ravenous appetites of
the industrial economies of
China, Japan and Europe.
29
30
Control of the mining busi-
ness is in the hands of a few
big Goan industrial familes,
including the Chowgules,
Dempos, Salgaocars, Timblos,
Agarwals, Kunda Gharses,
etc. Most leases, however, are
owned by individuals who
contract the mining opera-
tions to the larger companies,
in violation of the Mines and
Minerals (Regulation and De-
velopment) Act.
Nining in Goa is strip or open-cast mining. The hrst act of the mining agency is
to remove the vegetation or the forest that grows on the lease. After the forest is
removed (with the approval of the Ninistry of Environment and Forests!), the top
soil - a fertile resource - is removed and dumped. What is left behind is soil bereft
of organic matter and therefore, life. Then the excavation begins. Goan ore is poor
quality: for every tonne of ore, the agency must remove between 3.5 and + tonnes
of waste material, dumped in huge mountains. These wastes are washed by heavy
rains (more than 120 inches annually) into rivers. Here (left) an excavator removes
mining waste from a river. (Above) Nining boards in forested areas.
31
Iron ore production in Goa has always been 100% export-
orienled. The hrsl exorl of 1OO lonnes vas in 1947. The hgure
rose lo 1 miIIion lonnes by 1954, 1O miIIion lonnes by 1971, and
13-15 miIIion lonnes in lhe 198Os. Today, due lo lhe demand
from China, the quantity has reached 33 million tonnes! Goas
natural assets are being dismembered for relocation to China!
Iron ore export volumes
have risen dramatically
over the years.
31
32 32
33
!"#$%& "$ ()* *+,()
Is this really Goa? The effects of
mining on Goas ecosystems
34
Mining has
left scars
on the skin
of Goa that
may never
heal.
Of all industrial activity in Goa, the
most destructive is mining, which
has done more ecosystem damage
than such high-prohle culprits like
tourism and chemicals factories.
35
The greatest
impact, of course,
is on forests and
green areas.
Hectare upon
hectare of natural
growth has, over
time, fallen prey
to the hungry
machines that
scoop the ores.
35
36
!"# %&'#()( &% )"# *#()#'+ ,"-)( .&+)-/+ 0-+1 #+2#0/. 34-+)
-+2 -+/0-4 (3#./#(5 6/+/+7 2/('#7-'2( )"#/' .4-/0( )& (8'9/9-45
!"# :&'#() ;&+(#'9-)/&+ <.)= >?@A= B-( 2#(/7+#2 )& 3'#9#+)
C)-)# 7&9#'+0#+)( %'&0 2#()'&1/+7 )"#/' %&'#()(5 !&2-1 )"#
;#+)'-4 7&9#'+0#+) /)(#4%= )"'&87" )"# 6&D:= 4/E#'-441 (/7+(
)"# 2#-)" B-''-+)( %&' )"#(# 3'/.#4#(( -'#-(5
37
Indications are that it takes more
than 30 years for a region denuded
by mining activities to rejuvenate
itself. Mine owners are required by
law to rehabilitate areas that have
been affected by mining. To date,
hardly any mine owners take
this requirement seriously.
Why should they bother?
Vegetation coming up on abandoned
mine sites is natures way of healing
itself. Nature always works with species
closely adapted to the area. Current
mining rehabilitation proposals rely
solely on Australian acacia species!
37
38
The bulk of mining is taking
place in the interior areas,
well hidden from the eyes
of the international tourists
who rave about Goa, its
beaches and its beauty.
38
39
!"#$%&"'( '* *'%$&+ ,%$,&
*'% -"("(. ,/+"#"+0
The estimated area of forests
affected due to mining in
Goa is about 2,000 ha. Since
mining is a non-forest activity,
approval of the Central
government is required under
the Forest Conservation Act.
So far 31 cases covering 1,116
ha area have been approved,
which includes about 300 ha
broken up area of the forest
land. The details of mining
leases in the forest areas are
as given below:
Number of active mines ......74
Number of leases ............ 355
Total area ............... 66.9 km
2
Number of leases
in forest area .....................91
Number of active leases in
forest area .........................26
(19.66 km
2
)
Sadly, these
are also the
regions that
are the most
pristine, the
places where
nature is at
her best.
Any person holding a mining lease
believes that his right to invade the land
and excavate the ore is superior to the
rights of all other species to survive.
39
40
The Netravali
Wildlife
Sanctuary
exhibits even
now the wounds
resulting from
the serious
assaults it
suffered from
mining.
Desile a Sureme Courl order, issued in 2000, lhe Goa Governmenl ermiued severaI mining
Ieases lo conlinue lo be oeraled vilhin lhe sancluary. OnIy a comIainl lo lhe CenlraI Imov-
ered Commiuee broughl aII mining aclivilies lo a haIl in November 2003. The mine ovners lhen
|usl vaIked avay from lhe siles. A visil lo lhe mined area in November 2007 shovs lhe slale in
vhich lhey have been abandoned. None of lhe mining aulhorilies nor even lhe Ioresl Dearl-
menl have demanded recIamalion and rehabiIilalion of lhese areas lo dale.
40
41
One of the highest ridges of the Western
Ghats within the Netravali Wildlife
Sanctuary has been stripped of all its
cover and is now left to strong eroding
winds. There are several other hills
mutilated like this. While all authorities
turn a completely blind and apathetic
eye, the area continues to erode, with
the silt hlling up streams below.
41
42
The two wildlife sanctuaries
of Mhadei and Netravali were
nolihed by lhe Slale of Goa in
lhe year 2OOO. The roosaIs
vere mooled by lhe Ioresl
Dearlmenl and suorled
and endorsed by lhe Goa
Governmenl. Togelher lhey
cover an area of some 42O sq
km.
Wilh lhe nolihcalion of lhese
lvo rolecled areas, lhe enlire
easlern coasl of Goa became
a conlinuous rolecled cor-
ridor beginning from Coligao
in lhe Soulh and ending vilh
Mhadei in lhe Norlh, lhus
enabIing lhe animaIs lo move
freeIy vilhoul human inlerfer-
ence from one arl of lhe Slale
lo lhe olher, and across lhe
Goa border, inlo Karnalaka
sancluaries as veII.
There vere, hovever, mining
Ieases granled in lhe 195Os
arlicuIarIy for manganese
vilhin lhe lvo areas lhal
vere nov nolihed as sanclu-
aries. The governmenl did nol
lhink il necessary lo canceI
lhe Ieases. So, desile lhe facl
lhal lhe Sureme Courl of
India had banned aII aclivi-
ties in wildlife sanctuaries and
nalionaI arks, mining conlin-
ued, arlicuIarIy in NelravaIi,
vilh lhe lacil suorl of lhe
Goa Governmenl.
In facl, lhe Slale governmenl
had moved lhe Sureme
Courl and lhe Indian oard
of Wild Life (as it was known
lhen) lo denolify vasl sec-
lions of bolh lhese sancluaries
in order lo enabIe mining lo
resume. The Sureme Courl
dismissed lhe aIicalion.
In November 2OO3, lhe Cen-
lraI Lmovered Commillee
issued an order lo lhe Slale
governmenl bringing lo a haIl
aII mining aclivilies in bolh
lhe sancluaries. Though min-
ing has nov ceased in lhe lvo
sancluaries, lhe devaslaled ar-
eas which include some of the
highesl ridges of lhe rolecled
Weslern Ghals have remained
un-rehabiIilaled liII loday.
RecenlIy, in yel anolher al-
leml lo ermil mining
lhrough lhe back door in
lhe sancluary areas, lhe Ior-
esl SellIemenl fhcer (IS)
aoinled by lhe Goa Gov-
ernment to entertain claims
under the Wildlife Protection
Acl, 1972, has gone on a sree
enlerlaining cIaims of min-
ing comanies and assed
severaI orders excIuding lheir
Ieases from lhe sancluaries.
IorlunaleIy, lhe IS's orders
cannol be execuled due lo lhe
Sureme Courl ban on aclivi-
lies in sancluaries.
Mining in wildlife
sanctuaries: a
tale of collusion,
devastation and
arrogance
43
In 2002, the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, acting
on a direction by the former
Indian Board of Wild Life,
directed all State governments to
demarcate a 10-km buffer zone
from the boundaries of all wildlife
sanctuaries which could be
considered ecologically sensitive.
When the Goa Foundation
pressed the Supreme Court for
enforcement of this direction, the
Environment Ministry withdrew
its circular and instead required
State governments to examine
the issue on a sanctuary by
sanctuary basis and demarcate
appropriate areas for notihcation
as ecologically sensitive.
The Supreme Court then passed
a fresh order requiring all the
State governments to demarcate
their ecologically sensitive buffer
zones and to submit their report
before the National Board of Wild
Life.
In Goa, the government set up
an Inter-Departmental Committee
to demarcate the buffer zone
around the six wildlife sanctuaries
and one national park.
The Committee hrst decided -
on the basis of advice from the
Forest Department - that a
1-km zone with severe restriction
on mining would be best to
recommend. In areas where
there were forests, this buffer
could extend to 3 km.
However, as the mining lobbies
control the Goa Government
and its minions, the committee
was forced to eventually water
down its recommendations
completely. It has now suggested
to the National Board of Wild
Life that no buffer zone need
be maintained from Mollem,
Nhadei and Netravali - the three
principal sanctuaries affected by
mining operations.
Zero buffer zones
Some scenes of the devastation that
has been wrought upon the Netravali
Wildlife Sanctuary - hills denuded of
forest cover or cut in half, together
with mountains of waste. If the mining
industry has its way, this will be the fate
of Goas other wildlife sanctuaries as
well.
44
Mining activities, whether occurring
within or near Protected Areas,
cause a range of environmental
consequences that can be severe
and irreversible. Mining operations
and the process of constructing
new mining infrastructure often
results in large-scale alteration of
the environment at landscape and
ecosystem levels.
The clearing of vegetation
is one of the most signihcant
impacts of mining on biodiversity.
Extensive mining operations have
historically destroyed large areas
of vegetation (AXYS 2002). Loss of
vegetation cover occurs not only
in the mined area but also in areas
affected by associated activities
such as dumping of overburden,
deposition of tailings, development
of infrastructure for transport and
service corridors (railway lines,
roads, pipelines, conveyers) and
surface facilities (ofhces, workshops,
vehicle parks, storage depots and
warehouses).
The excavation of the substrate
materials and creation of the
mine voids also alter the soil
prohle, hydrology, topography and
nutrient status of the substrate.
These secondary factors have
the potential to have deleterious
effects on local biodiversity. At the
landscape level, environmental
impacts occur generally in the form
of alteration of land form features
and fragmentation of biological
habitats that may cause isolation
of populations of horal and faunal
species (Brown and Dunne 1988,
Banerjee 2004). Fragmentation of
habitat into patches of insufhcient
size quality may not be able to
meet a species requirements and
may also cause loss of connectivity
due to reduction in species mobility
between supportive habitats.
Altered patterns of stream hows and
drainage pattern are also landscape
level impacts resulting from mining
activities (Treweek 1999, IIED and
WBCSD 2002, UNEP 1994).
Impacts on wilderness area
values are aggravated by noise and
visual intrusion arising from both
mining and secondary activities,
including transportation. Human
immigration in response to real or
perceived livelihood opportunities
that are created by mining
activities often result in increased
pressure on the natural resources
of the area, disturbance to wildlife
species, illegal hunting, habitat
fragmentation and the spread of
alien invasive species (IIED and
WBCSD 2002). Displacement of
human populations due to diversion
of land for mining can also trigger
unsustainable resource-use
pressures in other areas allotted for
human rehabilitation.
Mining operations also cause air
pollution effects that are manifested
as dust generation and subsequent
increase in Suspended Particulate
Matter (SPM) in the environment,
particularly in case of opencast
mining. Mining processes can
also have serious implications for
the aquatic environment as the
clearing of vegetation, removal of
soil, extraction of large quantities
of water, disposal of waste through
water systems often lead to soil
erosion, increased sedimentation
load and alteration of watercourses.
Acid drainage from mines is known
to cause severe damage to the
habitats of aquatic species and/
or may bring about changes in the
spawning grounds of hshes and
habitats of aquatic species. (ERL
1993, Ghose and Majee 2001,
Rajvanshi 1998, Soni et al, 1992,
Treweek 1999).
The most serious environmental
conhicts in the mining industry
revolve around access to mineral
reserves in areas recognised as
habitat of signihcant conservation
values and biodiversity richness or
areas of special cultural signihcance.
In India, at least 90 wildlife
sanctuaries and national parks, and
many other ecologically sensitive
areas are threatened with mining
activities (Vagholikar and Moghe
2003). In Goa, mining for various
minerals including manganese and
iron ore threaten the Bhagwan
Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS),
Mollem National Park, Bondla WLS,
Netravali WLS, Mhadei WLS and
Cotigao WLS.
From an EIA case study,
Wildlife Institute of India
44
Studies reveal the
impact of mining on
protected areas
45
This aeriaI shol, Iike lhose on
lhe foIIoving ages, ro-
vides a dislressing iclure
of lhe scaIe of lhe imacls of
mining on lhe slale. As you
y inlo Goa, vhal slrikes
you aboul lhe Iandscae
is lhe greenness of il. ul
shouId you Iook cIoseIy, you
viII aIso see lhe gaing hoIes
of lhe exisling mines, and il's
no Ionger a relly iclure.
45
46
Where everything was once shades of green, today
there are gaping red holes. Where once paradise had
come to earth, today there are patches of hell. Can man
recreate, after such mayhem, natures original design?
47
Where the mines
border the shore
(like the Redi mines
here), the wounded
land bleeds into the
Arabian Sea.
47
48
Problems are also caused by the
mine rejects and wastes which are
dumped indiscriminately, polluting
water bodies, silting drains and
canals, and ruining fertile land.
49
Though mining dumps must
be maintained utilising certain
procedures, like benching, plantation,
etc, in practice dumps have become
loose mountains of earth or of mud.
Due to annual heavy precipitation
over four months, the loose material
invades surrounding areas and gets
into the helds, rivers and estuaries.
49
50
That is why we keep repeating the
question: Is this Goa? Who created this
devastation? Who are the authorities
responsible for mitigating the effects of
such activities, if they are allowed for
any reason? Why did the MoEF abdicate
its responsibility (and worse) and
legitimise such destruction by providing
environment clearances to these mines?
50
51
Oen-casl mining invoIves
lhe slriing of lhe lo soiI
on lhe Iease in order lo gel al
lhe ore seams. This lo soiI is
dumed aside in mounlains,
vilh very IiuIe roleclion lo
revenl lhe maleriaI from
Ieaching inlo valer bodies,
heIds and rivers. As a resuIl of
lhese raclices, lhe rivers run
red during lhe monsoon and
for severaI veeks lhereaher.
The exlracled maleriaI con-
lains soiI and ore in lhe ralio
of 4 : 1, lhal is, four lonnes of
soiI have lo be excavaled and
sel aside for vinning every
lonne of ore. AII lhis re|ecled
maleriaI forms lhe mining
dums. Mosl of lhese dums
cannol be iIed vilhin lhe
Iease due lo Iack of sace.
They are iIIegaIIy crealed on
unused governmenl Iand or in
uncIaimed areas.
Though mining comanies
are required by Iav lo ul
back lo soiI, overburden soiI
and olher maleriaIs inlo lhe
ils lhey have crealed and
lhis is a condilion for oeral-
ing lhe Iease lhere is IiuIe
hoe lhis viII ever haen.
The Iain facl is lhal unliI lhe
mine is fuIIy exhausled
vhich means every bil of ore
is removed lhe il need nol
be cIosed. Thus, lhe relurn of
lhe soiI from lhe dums lo
lhe ils viII resumabIy be
required lo be done a couIe
of decades from nov, by
vhich lime no comany viII
be inleresled in uuing in
money for lhe urose, as by
lhal lime, lhe Iease viII nol be
roducing any income.
More lhan 60,000 lonnes
of lhis maleriaI every year
Ieaches inlo lhe valervays.
Left and above: The Kushawati River
supplies drinking and irrigation water
to several communities downstream.
Due to reckless mining activities, the
river bed is now covered with mining
silt, which turns the river turgid. Here,
farmers scoop up silt to show the
condition of the river bed.
A ioneering sludy by lhe
NalionaI Inslilule of Ocean-
ograhy (NIO) 20 years ago,
indicaled lhal lhis maleriaI
had sread ilseIf Iike a hIm on
lhe esluaries of lhe Mandovi
and lhe Zuari, eecliveIy de-
slroying lhe cIam hsheries of
lhe slale. The silualion loday
is a hundred limes vorse. The
NIO has simIy given u ils
sludies in lhis direclion.
52
But the scooped-out, exposed
cavities, with their mountains of
waste, are not the only devastation
dealt upon the land...
Black manganese deposits in a denuded
section of the Netravali forests.
Unfortunately, the richest pickings of the
ore are often under the oldest forests.
52
53
Among the
most serious
long-term
effects of
mining in
Goa is its
heavy toll on
watersheds.
54
Left: A recently cut hillside, with water pouring apparently from nowhere. This
displays how hills act as catchments for water, keeping the water tables high due to
capillary action. The undulating terrain of hills ensures catchment of water during
the monsoons, and a high water table. Goa's unique position - nestling along the
coast, with the slopes of the Ghats ensuring entrapment of moisture and creating
waterfalls which pour in from the Deccan plateau - makes the state a paradise. !t
has for millennia replenished its own bountiful natural resources, but is now under
threat of ceasing to do so because of the accelerated rate at which a few mining
companies have started exploiting those resources for their own greed.
Tiny pools like this one are constantly
forming and disappearing in the hills
and forests of the Western Ghats,
symbols of the cycle of replenishment
that nature undergoes if left alone.
54
55
A bloody fate awaits surface water
bodies rivers, canals, lakes, even
the sea once mining is sanctioned.
Mining also destroys delicately
poised groundwater aquifers.
55
56
How does mining cause village wells to run dry? When min-
ing commenced in Goa in lhe 195Os, lhey vere suerhciaI
manuaI oeralions, nol envisaged lo go dee beIov ground.
Today, hovever, aII mines having mechanised, lhey go veII
beIov lhe valer labIe, ruining il comIeleIy. When mining
aclivilies go beIov lhe ground valer labIe, valer from ad|a-
cenl areas migrales inlo lhe mining il, Ieading lo ils ooding,
revenling oeralions. To meel lhis robIem, de-valering is a
slandard raclice. Huge ums simIy um oul lhe ground
valer, in order lo aIIov mining lo roceed. LvenluaIIy, lhe en-
lire ground valer labIe is eilher emlied or Iovered, rendering
viIIage veIIs dry.
56
57
When MoLI ofhciaIs vere
queslioned aboul hov lhey
couId granl ermissions in
such circumslances, lheir
resonse vas lhal lhe reva-
Ienl imression vas lhal Goa
has Ienly of valer, vilh 12O
inches of rain!
They cIaimed nol lo have
heard that mines were creat-
ing robIems vilh lhe valer
suIies of ad|oining viIIages,
even lhough ma|or comIainls
of droughl and valer scarcily
had emerged in mosl ubIic
hearings deaIing vilh lhe con-
linued oeralion of lhe Ieases.
The MoLI, hovever, did
knov lhal il vas granling
arovaIs for mines lhal vere
culling across lhe valer labIe.
This avareness is reecled
in many of lhe environmenl
clearance letters which con-
hrm lhal mining has inler-
secled lhe valer labIe. (Some
mines in facl have gone 8O
melres beIov lhe ground!)
The damage done lo lhe
hydrogeoIogicaI regime can-
nol be reversed in severaI
decades.
In order lo kee u a relense
of concern, lhe MoLI asked
lhe mining comanies lo sub-
mil hydrogeoIogicaI sludies
vilhin lvo years lhal vouId
shov lheir mining aclivily
vas nol affecling ground va-
ler aquifers. ul in lhe mean-
vhiIe il aIIoved lhe mining lo
conlinue.
The mining comanies vere
quick lo ay for sludies from
mining inslilules lhemseIves
eager lo romole mining or
devoled lo ils exansion.
Hovever, lvo ma|or scienlihc
sludies of an indeendenl
nalure exisl on lhis sub|ecl:
a) The Chachadi sludy from
Goa Iniversily, vhich
dveIIs on lhe imacls of
mining on ground valer
regimes in IissurIem.
b) The Maralhe sludy, con-
ducled by IIT Mumbai,
vhich is much oIder, bul
makes observalions on a
valershed basis.
olh sludies indicale vilh
delaiIed scienlihc evidence
lhal mining is deslroying lhe
valer labIe in lhe crilicaI va-
lersheds of Goa.
As for lhe recorded ubIic
hearings vhich conhrmed va-
ler scarcily robIems caused
by mining, lhe exerl com-
millees never bolhered lo ask
for lhe reorls, lhus vishing
avay lhe robIem aIlogelher.
Though pits accumulate water,
the impounded water is sterile,
biologically dead and hardly of use
to village communities because of its
sediment load.
58
The net effect of minings assault
on the water table mine pits are
ooded and require water to be
pumped out, while adjacent areas
suffer shortages in water supply.
It is paradoxical and ironic that while
development is to improve the standard
of living of unprivileged villagers in Goa,
mining development (see de-watering
pix at extreme left) has resulted in
empty tanks and wells, forcing people to
line up with utensils before public water
taps. Some villages are now provided
with water in tankers, but what happens
to them when mining ceases a few
years from now?
58
59
The dust raised by mining activities,
and more so by the trucks that roar
by laden with ore, create a choking
coat on plant life, as they do on the
lungs of people.
The overIaden lrucks deslroy lhe road, lheir ore siIIs on il. As
lhe endIess slream of heavy vehicIes race each olher for more
lris (and more cash), lhe SIM in lhe area makes Iife inloIer-
abIe for lhose vho have no conneclion vilh lhe mining busi-
ness. ChiIdren are lhe mosl aecled: oIIuled schooIs can be
found ad|acenl lo mining dums!
59
60
The Iav aIso requires mine ovners lo ul in Iace adequale
ubIic uliIilies lo comensale for Ioss in quaIily of Iife engen-
dered by lhe mines. Whal is rovided lo lhis end, if anylhing
is, are shoddy, sub-slandard and inoeralionaI sos. The gen-
eraI allilude of lhe mine ovners lovards lhe IocaIs vhom lhey
inconvenience is one of beIIigerence and inlimidalion.
Monocultures of Australian acacia can
be found gallantly occupying mining
dump slopes and abandoned mining
pits. Mining owners are promoting the
use of their open cast abandoned pits as
potential water reservoirs so as to avoid
the necessity of restoring the land with
indigenous species of plants.
61
In Rivona, a
beautiful area of
south Goa, many
of these problems
come together.
Blasted and now abandoned hillsides,
endless rows of trucks overloaded with
ore and recklessly driven, trees covered
with a hlm of ore and dust, paddy helds
drying up due to the struggle to retain
water in these areas (after mining goes
below the water table) and State and
Central governments in cahoots with the
mining barons.
61
62
The unchecked interference with the ecosystem also results in a more
immediate and devastating effect. Silting of rivers, clogging of drains
and imbalances in the water table have led to unprecendented oods in
several regions. These incidents and the resultant loss of life, livestock
and property can be directly linked to mining activities.
Rivers and streams run red with
mining silt. Eventually, the bed gets
raised, leading to hoods in areas that
have never faced them before.
63
An exerl commiuee, consliluled by lhe governmenl, comris!
ing reresenlalives of lhe IubIic Works Dearlmenl (IWD),
Calain of Iorls, Direclorale of Mines and Induslries, and lhe
AgricuIlure Dearlmenl, lo invesligale heavy ooding exeri!
enced in ichoIim on lhe nighl of }une 13, 1981. The commil!
lee submiued ils reorl vhich vas a cIear indiclmenl of one of
Goa's ma|or mines Iessees, M/s V.S. Demo Limiled. Il slaled:
!"# %&' ()%(&*'#% )+') ,- %&' +./'+ 0.'
1,*' *.#'12 3&'+' *.#.#4 )(%./.%5 .1 6'7
.#4 8#9'+%):'# -,+ %&' 0)1% ;< 5')+1 ,+ 1,=
>'()81' ,- *.#.#42 9'/'0,?*'#%)0 )(%./.%5
)#9 9'-,+'1%)%.,# .# %&' ()%(&*'#% )+') ,-
%&' +./'+2 %&' 1,.0 *)#%0' 4'%1 9.1?0)('9
with the result that loose soil nds it7
1'0- %+)#1?,+%'9 65 %&' +).# 3)%'+1 %, %&'
3)%'+ (,8+1'1= >'()81' ,- %&' 1%''?#'11
,- %&' 6'9 10,?'1 .# %&' 8??'+ +')(&'1 ,-
%&'1' 3)%'+ (,8+1'12 %&' ()++5.#4 (&)##'0
)(@8.+'1 (,#1.9'+)60' /'0,(.%52 3&.(& .1
-8+%&'+ 1(,8+.#4 ,+ '+,9.#4 %&' 6'9 ,- %&'
(&)##'0= A,3'/'+2 3&'# %&' +./'+ ,+ 3)%'+
course traverses at terrain, the veloc7
.%5 4'%1 +'98('9 )#9 %&' *)%'+.)0 3&.(& .1
()++.'9 .# 181?'#1.,# 4'%1 1'%%0'9 .# %&'
(&)##'0 ()81.#4 1.0%.#4 )#9 +'98(%.,# .#
%&' ()++5.#4 ()?)(.%5 ,- %&' (&)##'02 +'7
180%.#4 80%.*)%'05 .# %&' ,/'+,3.#4 ,-
6)#:1 )#9 .#8#9)%.,# ,- 0,3 05.#4 )+')1
)0,#4 %&' 6)#:1=B
The extent of damage at Bicholim
is horrifying, with entire hills sliced
away, exposing the insides of the
earth. To pacify the local villagers
are sops like the bus stop below.
63
64
In general,
people carry
a low value
in the mining
equation.
They are an
expendable
resource.
This is evident in the unsafe
conditions in which mine workers
function (see coverage of the Tollem
mine disaster above), the danger
to local residents from the rushing
trucks (an account of one horrible
accident is recounted by an eye-
witness in the write-up on the facing
page) and the hazardous health
conditions created for people living
near the mines or along truck routes.
65
MINING KILLS
19-11-07
! #$%&' () *+' ,%-.%/+.* 0- *+' 1.2 *0 3'4/.(5
*+$0(/+ *+' 3./+1.- 6.+.&''$ 7%4#4%8' 9.-:*(.$2 %;
-'$&'<$.:=%-/> ?-;*'.# 08 *+' ;:'-* 08 *+' @(-/4'A
20( ;5'44 B($-%-/ B$.='C:4(*:+ 4%-'$; .-# #%';'4
8(5';> ,+' ;%4'-:' 08 *+' 80$';* +.; B''- ;+.**'$'#
B2 5%-%-/ *$(:= '-/%-'; /$%-#%-/ () .-# #01- *+'
D+.*;> ,.=%-/ 0$' 8$05 . -(5B'$ 08 5%-'; %- *+';'
80$';*'# .$'.; *0 *+' )0$* %- D0.A *$(:=; $.:' #01-
*0 /'* *+' 5.E%5(5 -(5B'$ 08 *$%); . #.2>
7+%4' *$.&'44%-/ 0- *+%; $0.# . :0()4' 08 2'.$; ./0A
).;* )0*+04'; .-# $.:%-/ *$(:=;A 1' ;.1 . 4.$/' )%4'
08 5%-%-/ 0$' #(5)'# %- *+' 5%##4' 08 *+' $0.# .-#
B';%#' .- 0&'$*($-'# 5%-%-/ *$(:=> F'')%-/ 0(* 08
*+' 401'$ )0$*%0- 08 *+' )%4'A 1.; . 4%**4' 1+%*'
5'*.4 )%':'> G- ;*0))%-/A 1' ;.1 %* 1.; . ).$* 08 .
:.$A . 1+%*' 7./0- HA B($%'# :05)4'*'42 B'-'.*+ %*
.-# ;I(.;+'# *0 .B0(* *10<.-#<.<+.48 8''* +%/+>
7' .40-/ 1%*+ 0*+'$ *$.&'44'$;A 1+0 ;*0))'#A 8$.-<
*%:.442 *$%'# *0 'E:.&.*' *+' :.$A 50;*42 1%*+ 0($
B.$' +.-#;> 7' 5.-./'# *0 'E:.&.*' . 20(-/ B02 8$05
*+' B.:= ;'.*A :+0=%-/ .-# B$'.*+4';;A +%; 50(*+
8(44 08 0$'> ! 4%**4' 4.*'$ +%; 50*+'$A 4%5) 1%*+
+'$ -':= B$0='- .-# . 4%**4' 4.*'$A +'$ +(;B.-#A -01
:04# .-# #'.#>
,+' /$''# 08 *+' 5%-%-/ 40BB2 %- .4401%-/ *+' #'<
;*$(:*%0- 08 *+' $0.# .-# 8.5%4%'; 1+0 *$.&'4 0- %*
#'50-;*$.*'; *+'%$ :.440(;-';; .-# *+' 4.:= 08 .-2
:0-*$04; 'E'$*'# B2 *+' /0&'$-5'-*> ,+%; %; -0* .-
%;04.*'# :.;' .-# 5.-2 50$' +.&' #%'# 0$ 4%&'; +.&'
B''- *+$'.*'-'# B2 *+' 4.$/' ;:.4' (-:0-*$044'# 5%-<
%-/ *.=%-/ )4.:' *0#.2>
Desile lhousands Iiving in lhe mining areas and daiIy svaI-
Ioving dusl and hne arlicIes of ore, lhere is nol a singIe com-
rehensive heaIlh sludy done for lhe Slale of Goa in regard lo
Iung funclion lesls and olher bioIogicaI lesls. Worksho afler
vorksho has recommended such sludies lo assess lhe ossi-
bIe heaIlh hazards such as siIicosis and olher resiralory disor-
ders. The Governmenl of Goa slays unmoved.
Noise oIIulion is so severe and so hoeIess lhal severaI viIIage
communilies have simIy given u, reIenled and begun lo ac-
cel monlhIy cash comensalion aymenls for suffering noise
oIIulion inslead of allemling lo gel noise oIIulion conlroI
Iavs enforced.
66
Things have come to such a pass
that the otherwise laid-back Goans
are increasingly coming out in
protest against the mines and
their exploitative and disruptive
operations. On the following pages
are just a small sampling of some
news coverage of such incidents (of
late, a scan of the local dailies shows
that there is almost one such item
reported every day).
66
67 67
68 68
69 69
70
Its not just the
media even
the courts agree
that something
is rotten in the
State of Goa.
In a landmark
judgement,
the High Court
awarded
compensation
amounting to
Rs 3.6 crore to
farmers affected
adversely by
mining activity
in parts of the
State. The text
alongside is
extracted from a
media report on
this judgement.
PANJIM: The mining
companies will de-
posit compensation
of Rs 3.6 crore
plus in the Bombay
High Court, Panjim
bench on or before
August 30, 2007.
This compensation
is for the 761 ag-
grieved farmers in
Surla village,North
Goa, whose helds
have been destroyed
due to mining ac-
tivity.
The High Court has
appointed Deputy
Collector/Sub Di-
visional Magis-
trate, Bicholim, as
Court Commissioner
for the purpose of
disbursement of
the amount depos-
ited in the Court.
If there are farm-
ers whose names do
not hnd mention in
the list, then they
would have to ap-
proach the Zonal
Agricultural Ofhcer
with an application
raising a claim.
While M/S V.M. Sal-
gaonkar & Broth-
ers Pvt Ltd will
have to pay a com-
pensation of Rs
85,56,930, M/S
Chowgule & Co Pvt
Ltd will pay a com-
pensation of Rs
85,53,263, M/S Sal-
gaoncar Mining In-
dustries will pay
a compensation of
Rs 85,53,263, M/S
V.S. Dempo & Co
Pvt Ltd will pay
a compensation of
Rs 85,53,263, M/S
D.B. Bandodkar & Co
Pvt Ltd will pay a
compensation of Rs
36,66,208 and M/S
Timblo Pvt Ltd will
pay a compensation
of Rs 36,66,208.
Once the amount is
deposited in the
High Court by the
mining companies,
the amounts paid to
the occupants or
owners between 1997
and 2007, would be
deductible and ad-
justable on pro-
viding documentary
proof of payment.
It was agreed by
both parties that
by paying the com-
pensation, the ob-
ligation of the
mining companies
as regards the de-
Mining companies
to pay
compensation
By Preetu Nair
71
silting of silts in
helds would be dis-
charged.
The villagers of
Surla had suffered
immense loss in
agricultural yield
from the year 1993
due to silting of
the helds from the
adjoining mining
units and had hled
a writ petition in
the year 2004.
A report on evalu-
ation of crop loss
suffered by farm-
ers from 1993-2004
and assessment of
cost of removal of
silt and damage to
agricultural prop-
erty in terms of
fertility and water
retaining facil-
ity in Surla vil-
lage had suggested
that the farmers be
paid compensation
from 1993-2004 for
loss of yield. This
committee was con-
stituted on April
5, 2005. The Court,
while hearing the
matter said that
the compensation
should be paid from
January 1, 1993, to
December 31, 2006,
to 761 occupants.
The committee re-
port states that
there are active
mines on North,
East and South
sides all along the
hills in the vil-
lage. Due to silt-
ing, approximately
1,090 ha consist-
ing of 124 ha un-
der paddy (both
kharif and rabi),
603 ha under gar-
den crops and 363
ha under dry crops
have been affect-
ed. While there
are helds that
have incurred to-
tal loss of kharif
and rabi crops, the
main yield of ca-
shew crop has also
fallen by 50%, the
report states.
Division bench of
Justice R.S. Mohite
and Justice N.A.
Britto hearing the
matter has further
directed all mining
companies operating
in Surla village to
carry out and un-
dertake adequate
protective measures
such as provisions
catchment drains,
providing protec-
tive walls for silt
arrestation/check
dams in between as
also afforestation
of the dumps.
On January 4, 2008, the
Supreme Court accepted the
recommendations of the Central
Empowered Committee that 16
mines in Goa would have to pay
compensatory sums exceeding
Rs.100 crore before they would be
allowed to resume work on their
leases in forest areas.
The CEC found that the costs
imposed on the companies for
destruction of forests on their
leaseds were undervalued by the
MoEF to the advantage of the
companies. The CEC also found that
temporary working permits to work
in forest areas had been granted
by the MoEF in blatant disregard
of the Supreme Courts orders and
that these permits needed to be
cancelled.
The CEC has proposed the amounts,
when collected, would be placed
at the disposal of a committee for
restoring wilderness areas in the
states.
Rs 100 crore for
Goas wilderness
72
The blame game
Pinning the responsibility for the destruction of Goa
Passing the buck for
the damage done by mining
companies in Goa has been
a regular pastime among the
statutory authorities. This is
how the blame game works:
The Goa State Pollution Con-
trol Board held the view that
it was not required to grant
consents under the Air and
Water Pollution Control Acts,
on the specious grounds that
what happened on the mining
leases was the responsibility
of the Regional Controller of
Mines. As a result, the regula-
tions under these two Acts
remained unenforced vis-a-
vis mining, and no authority
bothered about air and water
pollution control for the past
40 years. It is only in the year
2006 that the Board com-
73
menced granting consents
under these two Acts. The
Board still refuses to monitor
air and water pollution from
mining. It says that all air pol-
lution from mining trucks is
the responsibility of the RTO
under the Motor Vehicles Act.
All discharges into the rivers
are beyond its control.
The Regional Controller of
Mines (RCM) indicates it is
not concerned with the pollu-
tion caused by mines as this is
the responsibility of the Min-
istry of Environment which
grants environment clearances
after looking into all aspects
of the environment, and the
Pollution Control Board,
which has to monitor pollu-
tion levels. The RCM says it is
only concerned with approval
of mining plans.
The Department of Mines,
Government of Goa, says its
only job is to grant the leases
for mining. It does not con-
cern itself with mining opera-
tions after the leases are grant-
ed. That is the responsibility
of lhe ofhce of lhe Dislricl
Collector (if people are affect-
ed), or the Pollution Control
Board or the RCM.
The Ministry of Environment
and Forests, Government of
India, admits that it grants
environment clearances but
insists that this clearance is
effective only if the mining
company has obtained NOCs
from the Wildlife Warden,
the State Pollution Control
Board and other authorities.
It claims that when it grants
environment clearances, it
does not consider the im-
pacts of mining operations on
wildlife and forests as there
are separate departments
for these aspects. Hence, its
environment clearances are
issued without any reports on
these critical environmental
components. Parties must get
these separately. This is the
equivalent of the MoEF saying
that it issues a formal gradu-
ate degree to a student, but
the degree is valid provided
that the student has obtained
a ass cerlihcale in aII his1
her subjects! How does one
grant an environment clear-
ance when the issue of forests
and biodiversity impacts are
not considered by the expert
commillee` The signihcanl
fact is once an environment
clearance is granted, all other
approvals are granted as a
matter of routine because it
is simply assumed by all the
authorities lower down that
the environment clearance
was granted after taking all
relevant factors into consider-
alion! Many of lhe ofhcers in
lhe heId (Iike Chief WiIdIife
Wardens) are actually subor-
dinale ofhcers in lhe Lnviron-
ment Ministry: try getting any
of them to produce a report
contrary to their bosses!
It is ironic tht the entire pro-
cedure for grant of environ-
mental clearance was recently
reviewed and revised by the
previous Environment Secre-
tary, Prodipto Ghosh, under
the garb of infusing them
vilh scienlihc rocedures and
bases. Can this be called a sci-
enlihc imrovemenl, or vas
the review exercise by this
former AD ofhciaI skiIfuIIy
engineered to sabotage the
environment laws in favour of
business?
74
As of December 31, 2007, there were about 70 mines cleared for operation
in Goa by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), which granted
its clearances without visiting any of these devastated areas. In addition,
there are a large number of illegal mines. A list of mines is provided on the
reverse of the maps attached at the end of the book.
74
75 75
These environment clearances do not take into account the
severe ecological havoc perpetrated by these mines over the
past decades, but treat the mining as if it is just due to start.
The past is forgiven in the interest of business! No conditions are
therefore imposed for restitution, repair and recovery of ecological
endowments from earlier activity;
No conditions are imposed to protect the right to life of the settled
communities on or adjacent to the mining leases, to protect their
quality of air (including dust and noise pollution) and water;
Clearances have been issued for two years with the requirement
that the companies produce a hydrogeological certihcate that their
activities will not impact the ground water. However, the clearances
record that mining has already intersected the ground water table.
The Ministry, when it issued such orders, had only a base-line study
done after 2005 and despite the experts knowing that it would take
from +-5 years years for scientihc studies on impact;
The clearances were issued without considering impact on forests,
as MoEF claims forests are not part of environment as per its
procedures; similarly with wildlife;
Carrying capacity of the Western Ghat system to absorb the impact
of all the leases approved taken together was not even considered;
No protection was afforded to adjoining rivers or lakes;
No consideration was allowed of rich agricultural plantations and
farms. According to the MoEF and its experts, such concerns are
seen as being part of environment clearances;
The clearances were granted on concocted data produced by the
companies without independent verihcation by authorities.
76
A good number of leases lie within the wildlife sanctuaries. The Goa
Government allowed mining to continue in these leases despite the
Supreme Courts orders till they were stopped by the Central Empowered
Committee. Within the last year, the expert committee and the MoEF have
granted environment clearance to three leases within the
Netravali wildlife sanctuary!
76
77 77
Environment clearances have
been granted for several
Ieases lhal vere nolihed as
reserve forests under the
Indian Forest Act, 1927.
78
As the maps indicate, the so-called expert committees of the
MoEF have approved open-cast mining within 1-3 km of Goas
wildlife sanctuaries. If the protector himself turns hunter, pity
the game. As the white square within this map indicates, min-
ing leases have been granted environment clearance
even when located within the corridors enveloped
by three connected wildlife sanctuaries.
78
79 79
80
The story of the mining
industry in Goa is replete
with gross violations of the
law, and abuse of the land.
Take, as an example, the case of the mine with TC no. 135,
circled in white on the map extract above. This mine is lo-
caled vilhin1on lhe boundary of lhe NelravaIi sancluary.
The document on the facing page is the opening sheet of the
environmental clearance provided to this mine by the MoEF.
Read it carefully.
80
81
Of particular interest are the lines circled in red:
The clearance refers to Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary as being

located at a distance of 4.0 km towards South of the lease.
Where is the point of mentioning Cotigao when in fact this
lease borders and spills into the Netravali Wildlife Sanctu-
ary and has nothing to do with Cotigao? This is a deliberate
alleml lo misIead and is nol conhned lo lhis examIe aIone.
The sanctuary directly affected is Netravali. The clearance

gets around this by referring to the Netravali Wildlife Sanc-
tuary as proposed. The fact is that the sanctuary was noti-
hed by lhe Ioresl Dearlmenl as far back as 1999.
Even had this not been the case, the Supreme Courts order
banning mining in protected areas covers all sanctuaries,
vhelher nolihed under Seclion 18 (roosed) or Seclion 35
(hnaI) of lhe WiIdIife Iroleclion Acl, 1972. The WiIdIife Acl
dehnes a 'sancluary' as an area nolihed eilher under Seclion
18 or 35 of lhe Acl.
What is most shocking about documents such as this, is that
this subterfuge is being practised by the very Ministry set up to
protect Indias wildlife and forest resources.
82
MoEF reduces
public hearings
to a farce
Nothing illustrates the com-
plete farce involved in MOEF
supervised public hearings as
the instance of the hearings
surrounding the Sarvona min-
ing lease located at a hamlet
called Vathadev in Bicholim
Taluka.
The Sarvona mining lease (TC
28153) of M1s. Zanlye & Co.
Pvt. Ltd. was granted in 1953!
(It was operated manually for
manganese sporadically till
1956. Thereafter, mining was
permanently stopped). The
lease covers an area of 72.00
ha. which 50 years later is
all agricultural plantation
forest land, and settled com-
munities.
The lease is located on the
bank of lhe ood rone ich-
olim river from which the
town takes its name. The
Bicholim River is a fresh wa-
ter perennial tributary of the
Mandovi, which originates in
the Western Ghats.
There are residential areas
around and in close vicinity of
lhe Iease. During lhe hrsl ub-
lic hearing on the lease, the to-
be-affected residents protested
improper procedures and got
the hearing postponed. They
also went on a protest morcha.
At the second public hear-
ing held on 24.3.2007, all the
local people including the
women unanimously opposed
the proposed mining op-
erations. The hearing lasted
over six hours. The hearing
established that the rapid EIA
prepared by the company was
a false and fabricated docu-
ment: it provided incorrect in-
formalion on ora and fauna
and did not disclose existence
of forest on the lease.
The gram sabha of Sarvona
village had already passed a
resolution against the min-
ing project. At the request of
the villagers, the Collector
agreed to refer the matter to
the state government before
sending the public hearing
proceedings (including video
recordings) to Delhi. How-
ever, the company directly
presented the public hearing
proceedings to the MoEF,
which despite the unanimous
opposition, granted environ-
ment clearance in a record
period of four months. The
environment clearance does
not even mention the exis-
tence of the Bicholim River
or any measures to protect it
from destruction. The mining
activity proposed is an abso-
lute threat to the river and to
the forest on the river bank.
Mining would also devastate
horticulture spread over one
lakh sq.m and dairy opera-
tions presently yielding 2 to
2.25 Iakhs of Iil1yr. lo lhe
residents; their 22 water wells
and homes. The Tillari irri-
gation canal passes through
the lease area, covering more
lhan 38,OOO sq.mls. of Iand.
None of these concerns are
addressed in the environment
clearance order.
The environment clearance
has now been challenged
before the National Environ-
ment Appellate Authority in
Delhi.
83
The environment clearance letter on the
Sarvona mining lease states the lease
does not have forest or vegetation.
Pictures alongside show rich forest,
especially adjoining the Bicholim river
(at far left). The area is also rich in
biodiversity and contains signihcant
number of very ancient trees, some
taller than 10-storey buildings. Despite
huge public protests expressed at the
public hearing (below) and an absoute
rejection of the mining proposal by the
Gram Sabha of the village, the MoEF
granted clearance in a record time of
three months. It is on record that the
Pollution Control Board was yet to send
the proceedings of the public hearing
to the MoEF at Delhi when the grant of
environment clearance was announced.
84
In 2OO6, lhe Governmenl of Goa nolihed lhe RegionaI IIan for
Goa 2011 which is a statutory land-use plan accompanied by
a surface utilisation map. Due to major anomalies discovered
by the public and an ensuing well-documented outcry, the RP
2011 was withdrawn with retrospective effect in October 2006.
Interestingly, whereas a surface utilisation map requires that
ALL zones of impact be shown on it, the mining leases were
nol discIosed. WhiIe sludying lhe ofhciaI oIicy documenls,
activists found details hidden deep within. The existing mining
areas were indicated (shown here in black), while the proposed
expansion of mining in Goa for the future was marked (here
shown in red).
This was a shocking discovery. Mining would not only cover
aImosl 8.5/ of Goa's Iand mass, il roosed lo cul righl inlo
the Bhagwan Mahaveer and Netravali Sanctuaries. If the Plan
had not been withdrawn, a terrible fate would have befallen
these havens of nature.
Existing and proposed (RP
2011) mining areas in Goa
The Goa Regional Plan 2011 a
disastrous agenda hidden deep away
in the hles reveals the real truth
behind the claims of mining being
the backbone of the economy.
85
Mine owners are able to convince gullible experts that they are
lhe 'backbone' of Goa's economy. Given here is a lhumb-ruIe
comparison of the footprint of the Regional Plan 2011 in terms
of its proposed industrial estates, agricultural lands and coastal
settlements (for hotels and tourism) vs Net State Domestic
Iroducl (ofhciaI for 2OO3-2OO4). Il shovs lhal mining nels onIy
4.14/ of SDI, for vhich il demands a foolrinl of 8.5/ of lhe
slale vhereas manufacluring, vhich nels 25.88/, had a ro-
osed foolrinl of a mere O.65/.
The data is indicative of the lopsidedness of land use vs in-
come. Add to that the huge environmental and social costs of
mining, and the equation is skewed beyond any reasonable
level.
The Goa government receives approximately Rs 200 crore
annually as royalty from the mines, and the Central Govern-
ment several times that amount as excise. However, nothing
of this is set aside to repair the damage to ecological assets.
Comparison of proposed geographical footprint (RP
2011) vcrsus Nct 5tatc DnmcstIc Prnduct (2003-04 gurcs)
for some key sectors in the economy of Goa
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e

o
f

t
o
t
a
l
3O/
Manufacturing
Tourism trade
Mining
Agriculture,
foreslry, hshing
2O/
1O/
Contribution to
Net SDP
Geographical
footprint
25.88/
O.65/
3/
8.9/
8.5/
13.31/
7.77/
4.14/
A comparison of the geographic
footprint versus the economic
benehts of different industry sectors
reveals that mining fares poorly in
comparison to the other industries.
86
It was already known several
years ago lhal lhe rohls from
mining in Goa are more than
cancelled by the economic
cosls of damages inicled
by mining activity on fragile
ecosystems, water resources,
forests and public health. The
Energy Resources Institute
(TERI) made an elaborate
study of this issue and recom-
mended that the costs of min-
ing could be mitigated if the
mining companies were asked
to pay Rs. 7 per tonne of every
ore excavated. If the govern-
ment was serious about a
total rehabilitation plan, this
would require a tax of Rs. 26
per tonne to be sourced to
both mining companies and
the Goa government. (This
recommendation was made in
1998, al lhe requesl of lhe Goa
government, when iron ore
fetched US$15. Today, a tonne
fetches US$90!) However, till
today none of these recom-
mendations has seen the light
of day.
Two major problems villagers
in mining locations face are:
a) Who will supply them
water once mining is over
and the mining companies
withdraw from the lease?
(At present, after disrupting
groundwater aquifers and
turning village wells dry,
companies supply water in
trucks).
b) Who viII hII back lhe oen
mining pits, some of which
are more lhan 8O melres
deep, as much of the exist-
ing material excavated has
already gone into the rivers
and nullahs?
In 2003, the Central Govern-
ment amended the MMRD
Rules to require the approval
of a hnaI mines cIosure Ian
from all mining companies.
Under the plan, the mines will
deposit bank guarantees at the
rate of Rs. 25,000 per hectare
of land used for mining.
According to the proposal,
this money will be set aside
for reclamation and rehabilita-
tion of exhausted mines and
pits. The companies can claim
deductions from this amount
if they carry out reclamation
and rehabilitation work dur-
ing the life of the mine.
Knowing the companies past
habits, all of them are going
to claim in any case that they
have already spent Rs. 25,000
reclaiming each hectare of
their exhausted mines.
At Rs. 25,000 an hectare, not
much reclamation can be done
in any case since the cost of
lruck lransorl lo carry hII
material for even a few dozen
feet of mine pit would require
much more than that.
Wilhoul a hgure menlioned,
the prospect of getting the
mines reclaimed was better. It
appears the 2003 Rules have
been nolihed lo assisl lhe min-
ing companies get out of their
responsibilities to reclaim and
rehabilitate mines.
Thus Goa is bound to have a
series of moon craters for all
time to come, generating their
own brand of havoc for the
coming generations.
Costs and
87
6. Dr S.D. Attri
Member
Director,
Indian Meteorological Department
7. Prof Narendra Kumar Goel
Member
Professor and Head,
Department of Hydrology,
Indian Institute of Technology,
Roorkee
8. Dr V.B. Mathur
Member
Dean,
Faculty of Wildlife Sciences,
Wildlife Institute of India,
9. Shri B.P. Singh
Member
Director of Mines Safety (S&T),
Directorate General of Mines
Safety
10. Dr S.K. Aggarwal
Member-Secretary
Director,
Ministry of Environment & Forests
List of Expert Appraisal
Committee (Mining)
members
(those responsible for
approving Goa mining leases
till August 2006)
1. Dr Velu Annamalai
Chairman
2. Professor G.S. Roonwal
Vice Chairman
3. Shri B.K.P. Sinha
Member
Former Director
Hindustan Zinc Ltd,
4. Shri R.K. Sinha
Member
Controller of Mines (Planning &
Co-ordination),
Indian Bureau of Mines
5. Dr Sudhir Kanaiyalal Dave
Member
Sr Deputy Director,
National Institute of Occupational
Health
Two expert
committees have
been responsible
for much of the
irresponsible
recommendations
relating to the
continuance of
Goas iron ore
mines despite
the gross
environmental
damage
associated with
such mines for
several years.
Al hrsl, lhere vas onIy one
'exerl' commillee on min-
ing, headed by Dr Velu An-
namalai, a former Chairman
of SAIL (the Steel Authority of
India). The list of members is
given alongside.
As the pressures mounted
for quicker and speedier (and
more careless and thought-
less) approvals, a second,
addilionaI 'exerl' commillee
was set up under M.L. Ma-
jumdar, former Additional
Secretary in the Ministry of
Mines (also therefore from
the industry side). The other
members of the Majumdar
expert committee are listed on
the following page.
The environment stood little
chance in the face of these
two committees headed by
persons wholly sympathetic
to the iron and steel industry
and mining.
These so-caIIed 'exerl' com-
mittees followed a blatantly
partisan methodology. They
acceled aII lhe 'dala' rovid-
ed by the project proponents
88
vilhoul indeendenl verihca-
tion and, till fairly recently,
did not even bother to consult
the public hearing records
generated by the public hear-
ing process. The poor villag-
ers who attended the public
hearings genuinely believed
their voices were going to be
heard. Little did they know
that the public hearings were
nothing but a farce because
lhe 'exerl' commillees vouId
scarcely be able to even read
the voluminous notes sent
in by the Pollution Control
Boards, since they were ex-
ecled lo 'cIear' around 6O
projects at each sitting!
So they had no time to visit
the mines, not a single one of
them much less try to meet
the people affected by mining
operations or NGOs who had
made representations.
List of IInd Expert
Appraisal Committee
(Mining) members
(those responsible for
approving Goa mining leases
since September 2006, who
will take up the remaining
lease cases for approval)
Shri M.L. Majumdar,
IAS (Retd.)
Chairman
B-3 01, Harmony Apartments,
Plot No. 6-B, Sector 23,
Dwarka Phase I
New Delhi 110 075
Dr B. Padmanabhamurthy
Ex-Director, Indian
Metereological Department,
B-3B/*C, Janakpuri,
New Delhi 110 058
Dr Satish R. Wate
Deputy Director & Head,
Environmental Impact and Risk
Assessment Division,
NEERI, Nehru Marg,
Nagpur 440 020
Dr A. Mohankumar
Director,
2-511 (A), CTC Colony,
Near Pillaiyar Koil,
Vivekananda School Opp.,
Tirupur 641 608
Tamilnadu
Dr K. Suresh
21, Venu Reddy Street,
Alandur North, Chennai 600 032
Dr B.K. Mishra
Professor,
Department of Eco-Development
Planning and Participatory
Management,
Wildlife Institute of India,
Dehra Dun
Dr Binayak Rath
Professor of Economics,
Indian Institute of Technololgy,
House No.405 (R),
FB 651 (O), !!T Post Ofhce,
Kanpur 208 016 (U.P.)
Dr T.K. Joshi
B/22, New Krishna Park,
Dhouli Piao, Shivaji Marg,
New Delhi 110 018
Dr S. Subramaniyan
54, V.G.P. Golden Sea View Part
II,
2nd Main Road, 5th Cross Street,
Palavakkam, Chennai 600041
Shri B.S. Roy
Member,
Expert Committee on Mining,
Ministry of Environment and
Forests,
Government of India,
G-280 Sarita Vihar,
New Delhi 110 076
Dr Gurdeep Singh
Professor and Head of
Department,
Centre for Mining Environment,
Indian School of Mining,
Dhanbad 826004
89
Scientihc studies
on damages from
mining in Goa
Neither the expert committees
named in this book nor the
Environment Ministry cared
lo Iook al any of lhe scienlihc
studies already carried out on
the impact of mining activi-
ties in Goa. This is extremely
unusual for a Ministry that
was set up as a science-based
department. It is even more
unusual for a government
that is duty bound to follow
the three principles of envi-
ronment law laid down by
the Supreme Court of India:
Polluter Pays; Precaution-
ary Principle and the Public
Trust Doctrine. Listed here
are a few of the studies, some
sponsored by the MoEF itself.
The Mandovi river is estimated to carry about 200 thousand metric
tonnes of sediment from the North Goa mining belt every year. After
monitoring the environmental health of the estuary in 1974-5 and
1984-5 the scientists of National Institute of Oceanography did not
dare to repeat the sampling in 1994-5. Would we see the same
diversity of hshes in this river again?"
Nandukumar Kamat, eminent environmentalist
Chachadi A.G., Impact Assessment
of Open Cast Mine Dewatering on
Local and Regional Ground Regimes
in Goa. TERI, 1997.
DSouza J., Lobo, Belinda, Souza,
Marina, Effect of Mining on Microbial
Ecology of Bicholim Taluka, Goa:
Possible Restoration Processes in
the Region. Ministry of Environment
and Forests, Govt of India, 1995.
De Souza, S.N. (National Institute
of Oceanography), Effect of Mining
Rejects on the Nutrient Chemistry
of Mandovi Estuary, Goa. Indian J
Marine Sci, 28(4) (1999), 355-359.
Dhaveji C.S., Survey of Goan Mining
Industry, 1992.
Ganihar, S.R., Impact of Mining on
the Faunal Composition of Goa. Goa
University, 1990.
Gonsalves, D.V. and DSouza
J., Impact of Mining Rejects on
Water Quality at Selaulim Water
Project, Goa. Indian Journal of
Environmental Protection, June
1999, pp.427-431.
Government of India, Ministry of
!ndustry, !dentihcation of Protected
Districts (circular), Feb 17, 1987.
Indian Bureau of Mines, Study of
Environmental Pollution Control
Measures in Goa, 1995.
Modassir, M., Impact of Current
Iron Ore Mining Activities on the
Environment of Goa and Proposed
Measures to Minimise Long-term
Environmental and Economic
Damage, University of Hull, UK.
Nayak G.N., A Technical Report
on Impact of Mining and Physico-
Chemical Changes due to Siltation
in Mayem Lake and Other Water
Bodies of Bicholim Taluka, Goa.
MoEF. Nov. 1995.
Nayak, G.N., Impact of Mining on
Environment in Goa: Present Status.
Goa University, 1994.
Nayak, G.N. and Rao, T.S.S.,
Studies on Sediment Flux of Rivers,
Estuaries and Adjoining Coastal
Waters of Goa, West Coast of India.
MoEF, Government of India, 1993.
Parulekar, A.H. et al, Effect of Mining
Activities on the Clam Fisheries and
Bottom Fauna of Goa Estuaries,
Proceedings of Indian Academy of
Sciences (Animal Sciences), Vol. 95,
No. 3, June 1986.
Rank, J.S., Study of the Impact of
Mining Rejects on Degradation of
Soil and River Ecology, Met Centre,
Ahmedabad.
90
These studies
present strong
local scientihc
evidence about
the ill effects of
mining on various
aspects of life
and society, but
that does not
seem to concern
the experts.
Depletion of fresh water in the mining regions of Goa, India:
Gendered impacts and responses
By Shirin Cooper, Yogita Mehra and Anuradha Joshi
This paper by three researchers focuses on the human dimensions of
changes in ground water in the mining belt of Goa from a gendered
perspective. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has legitimised
all mines working below the ground water tables. The environment
clearance letters of the Ministry mostly record, without understanding,
that mining will cross-sect the water table. However, no measures
are suggested, even for the mines cleared in the vicinity of wildlife
sanctuaries.
Barges are used in Goa for
carrying iron ore. While sailing
through the estuaries, barge
movement gives rise to strong
waves, which sometimes
damage the young mangrove
seedlings. Rhizophora
seedlings are broken by the
boats passing through the
plantation (Hong, 1996).
Rajiv Kumar
Extension Division, Forest
Research Institute, Dehradun
I wish to also point out that mining activities in Goa, in addition
to causing environmental hazards like air pollution, deforestation
and damage to agricultural land, pose a constant threat of physical
accidents to around 16,000 persons employed in the mining sector
in the State. It is essential that the Annual Plans have appropriate
provisions for providing safeguard measures to prevent accidents
apart from checking environmental pollution and degradation of
agricultural land.
Opening remarks by
Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India
Tenth Plan & Annual Plan Discussion 2002-2003: Goa
Samat, L.D., Environmental
Management and Reclamation
of Iron Ore Mines of Goa. In:
National Seminar on Protection of
Environment and Ecology by Mining
Industry, Vol. I and II, 1989.
Shetty, S.M. et al, Effects of Mining
on the Ecosystems of Sanguem,
Bicholim, Sattari and Quepem
Talukas: Goa, Technical Report I,
Department of Environment, Forests
and Wildlife, Government of India,
New Delhi, 1987.
The Energy Research Institute
(TERI), Areawide Environmental
Quality Management (AEQM) Plan
for the Mining Belt of Goa, 1997.
Torne, S.G. and Gaonkar, R.V.
Response of Plant Species to
the Mining Sites Situated at Pale
and Sirigao, Technical Report,
1986-1989. 1989.
91
Area-wide environmental
quality management plan for
the mining belt of Goa
The Energy Research
Institute (TERI) (1998)
Present conditions in the study
area can be summarised as:
- Nining has been prevalent
since the 1950s and has led to
environmental degradation.
- No effective measures have
been taken to control land, air
and water pollution.
- The runoffs from the dumps,
pit water discharge and the
tailing pond overhow account
for most of the sediment (TSS)
loads in rivers/streams/nallahs.
The worst affected rivers
are Bicholim, Mhadei, and
Kandepar. Some of the mines
have their dumps right on the
river banks from which there is
run off directly into the rivers
during the monsoon.
- Run offs from dumps has
affected about 320 Ha of
agricultural land due to silting.
- Air quality index developed
for the villages in the study
area show that in many of
villages the population is
exposed to poor/bad air quality.
Dust pollution is a problem in
cluster II and III villages and
along certain stretches of road
corridors.
- Socio-economic study has
identihed many issues that are
of concern to the villages.
- Scarcity of water is common in
all clusters but more acute in
villages in clusters III and IV.
- vocational training institutes
are almost non existent in the
villages. Alternate employment
opportunities are very limited in
the mining area.
- Sanitation facilities are almost
absent in the villages.
- A total impact index (T!!)
was developed for each
village taking into account
environmental impacts and
social conditions in the mining
villages. 11 villages are highly
stressed with TII > 10 and 20
villages are moderately stressed
(TII > 5 but < 10).
Goa: Blood on the mountains
Sunita Narain, Centre for Science and Environment,
in Down to Earth magazine, April 11, 2007
We were standing between a massive mine and a stunning water
reservoir. Local activists were explaining to me that this iron ore mine
was located in the catchment of the Salaulim water reservoir, the only
water source for south Goa. Suddenly, as I started clicking with my
camera, we were surrounded by a jeepload of men. They said they
were from the mine management and wanted us off the property. We
explained that we had come on a public path and that there were no
signs to indicate that we were trespassing.. But they were not in a
mood to listen. They snatched the keys of our jeep, picked up stones to
hit us and got abusive.
In the next village, Colomba, I was surrounded once again: not by
goons of a mining company, but by women of the village. We were
standing on top of the hill, overlooking the village. But where we were,
bulldozers, mechanised shovels and trucks were hard at work. They
were breaking the hill, shovelling its mud, dumping the rejects and then
taking away the ore. The mine had just started operations, said the
agitated women, but their streams were already drying up. The sight of
the red waste on the green lands presented a stark contrast.
They dragged me down into the village, where they showed me
their wasted helds. They then showed me how the mining waste
and there are tonnes of this red mud was being dumped into
their streams. They walked me to a home where the walls had been
badly damaged, they said, because of the blasting in the mines. The
house owner, Devki Katu Velip, told me that when she complained
to the miners, the supervisor told her they would destroy her house
completely if she dared protest again.
92
Shri S. Regupathy
Minister of State,
Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Paryavaran Bhavan,
C.G.O. Complex, Lodi Road, New
Delhi 110 003.
Phones: (011) 24361727, 23018939,
23018668, 23015470
Fax: (011) 23015603
E-mail: r.sevugan@nic.in
Shri Namo Narain Meena
Minister of State,
(same address as above)
Phone: (011) 24362131
Ms Meena Gupta,
Secretary,
Phones: (011) 24360605, 24360570,
24360519
E-mail: envisect@nic.in
Mr M.L. Majumdar
Chairman, EIA Expert
Committee on Mining,
Government of India
Members of the EIA Expert
Committee on Mining
(see page 88 for addresses)
In Goa, write to:
Shri Digambar Kamat
Minister for Mines,
Government of Goa,
Secretariat, Porvorim, Bardez, Goa.
Phones: (0832) 2224845, 2730432
Fax: (0832) 2453510
E-mail: cm.goa@nic.in
The Director
Department of Mines,
Udyog Bhawan, Panaji, Goa.
Phones: (0832) 2425291, 2426431
E-mail: dir-mine.goa@nic.in
Regional Controller of Mines
IBM Colony, New National Highway,
Near Arlem Breweries, P.O. Fatorda,
Margao 403 602, Salcete, Goa.
Phone: (0832) 2741757
Fax: (0832) 2741758
E-mail: rcomgoa@sancharnet.in
Stand up and
be counted...
Was the MoEF right in granting environment clearances to
regularise this mammoth assault on Goas environment and
ecosystems? If you disagree with what the MoEF has done, are
you willing to do something about it?
You should write to the persons listed alongside, asking for:
a) the appointment of a high-powered monitoring committee
to review the entire process of granting such clearances to
mines in Goa;
b) that the high-powered committee will review the clearances
already granted with a view to ensure they incorporate as-
pects to protect ecological assets of the state and the quality
of life of settled communities;
c) Till this is done, no further environment clearances ought to
be granted for mining in Goa.

Mining in GOA

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G

The clearance refers to Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary as being

The sanctuary directly affected is Netravali. The clearance

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