Only mines, no heart

Only mines, no heart
by Preetu Nair

(This article appeared first in GT Weekender, Panjim edition,
January 8, 2005)

"Babuso arrived at Pandhari's house with Prasad babu, a
Gujarati mine owner with a plan and a certain dream. A dream
where mine pits make gold and certain money too. Unlike a
farmer's job, where after sowing the field for six months, a
farmer may not earn anything because of a bad crop. With the
promise of better money, Pandhari was lured away from his
traditional work to a new work. But little he realizes then
that he has lighted a lamp that is slowly going to burn his
village, his home and finally people.

These characters of Sahitya Akademi winner Pundalik Naik's
novel Acchev (The Upheaval) come alive in very many persons
that one meets at Sattari taluka in Northern district of Goa.
Just like Pandhari they were few years back lured away with
dreams of a better future and good life and development. But
little did the villagers realize that the decision that they
are taking in one moment of weakness would destroy their
future forever and bring in grief and utter devastation. And
yet they know that there is no respite now!

Mining activities in the area has destroyed their source of
water and majority of villagers are now depended on water
supplied by the water tankers of the mining units in the
area. Majority of fields in the area are destroyed and people
are forced to work in the mining units, often for a paltry
sum to ensure that they provide two time meal to their
family.

Every year, the mining industry excavates some 80 million
tonnes of iron and manganese ore with mud from the mountains
in Goa. This has turned the forested areas of Satteri into a
barren land and disrupted ground water table, destroyed the
fields and degraded the habitat of ordinary men and women.

The problem is immense but no government in Goa or any
political party has ever indicated either interest or
commitment to deal with the problems created by the mining
industry. No doubt the mining units have created a fair
amount of employment and helped Goan economy but the price
these villagers in the mining area are paying is too huge.

"We have lost everything. Our fields are completely
destroyed. Our wells are dry. We made several complaints to
the mining companies and even government, but to no avail.
Now if mining activity is stopped then people in the village
will die of hunger and thirst (water is provided by the
mining area). However, it would have been a different story
if mining activity had stopped 15 years back, but then people
never knew the ill-effects of mining," said Balchandra Gawde
of a mining affected village of Pissurlem.

Balchandra is full of stories of how, the mining activity in
the area has slowly but steadily destroyed the economy of the
place and destroyed their peace and health. "People fall sick
in the area at the drop of a hat. The main reason for this is
air and water pollution. The tankers which provide water is
hardly cleaned (once a year). This is the water we use for
drinking, cooking etc. as a result; stomach ailments are
quite common in the area. Tuberculosis and lung ailments are
also very common. My aged mother often falls sick because of
the dust pollution."

He recollects that 12 year back he led a comfortable and calm
life with his family and worked in the 2000 sq mt field that
he tilled. At that time what he cultivated, the family ate.
"I didn't have to worry about rice or vegetables as
everything was grown by us. But the during one monsoon, as
the ore rejects descended with the rains into the fields with
the rain water entered the fields and destroyed the land and
the crops. Now we have to purchase everything from the market
and it is very expensive", he said.

Balchandra admits that every year the mining companies pay
them money for the loss to agriculture but this money is
quite less. "We have complained to the mamlatdar (village
officer) but it has not helped. There are around 150 mundkars
(tenants) in our village, but it is only the influential ones
who get a decent sum while the rest get a paltry sum," he
added. Damage to agriculture is irreversible.

Ironically, severely hit by mining activity Balchandra is now
compelled to work in a mining company for Rs 7000 per month.
"I have no other option. With my fields completely destroyed,
I am forced to work in the mining unit or leave my home and
migrate to another place in search of better opportunities. I
choose the former." Village wells are adversely affected due
to percolation, pollution and disruption of the water table.
Mining activity is also responsible for pollution of water by
oil and grease.

It is not that Balchandra and other villagers from the mining
areas have not approached the government for help, but there
request for help had been turned down by the government. "In
1997, I had written a letter to then CM Pratpsigh Raoji Rane,
who is incidentally our MLA, to look into these issues, but
there was no reply. Now I am tired of the government lethargy
and inaction and am trying to readjust to the new way of
life, however bad it maybe," he added.

It is not just Balchandra's voice. It is the voice of several
villagers who have been affected by the mining units but
don't have the courage to stand up against the unit, lest
they be troubled or left jobless.

Jayshree Naik, (we are not revealing where she stays because
we don't want her husband rendered jobless) who stays close
to one of the mining units bears a lean look. The roof of her
house appears to be painted red, but a closer look reveals
that it is a film of red dust. She is waiting for the
promised rehabilitation since last five years. Her husband
works in one of the units and she is scared to speak against
the mine owners, lest her husband is rendered jobless.
However, she admits that living close to the mining units is
not easy. "After 7 pm the dust pollution is immense as they
stop sprinkling water. Besides there is lot of noise
pollution as trucks keep on coming and going. Due to this
often we don't even get a good sleep," she complained. The
trucks raise large quantities of dust, which enters their
house and adds to their misery. This is the dust they breathe
everyday.

Gurudas Samanth, a retired school teacher from Honda
recollects how three years back, the whole waddo
(neighborhood) was under water during monsoon. "Around
midnight due to heavy rains, the miming dumps became full
with water and due to pressure the retaining wall broke and
the water entered our fields and home. We were shocked. The
waddo was in complete darkness. Somehow we managed to escape
but our belongings were destroyed," he said.

And did the mining units and government tired to help them?
"The government paid Rs 5000 as compensation to the affected
people. But I am yet to get the compensation. In mid 2004 I
got a cheque of Rs 5000 from the Mamlatdar's office, but I
had to send it back as my surname was spelt wrong. After that
I have never heard from them", he added.

Sixty seven year old Vasant Marathe, Honda in Sattari taluka
recollects the time when his khua ghar (plantation) was rich
with areca nuts, coconuts and spices. At that time he dreamt
of a peaceful and calm life in the village, but now he
complains of sleeplessness and ill-health due to the dust
pollution. This was 15 years back when the mining activity
had not completely destroyed their resources and polluted the
place. Once a mining work started in between the nullah from
which the water came to the fields, the water stopped and
they had to incur huge loss. Now since last 10 years they are
using an unused pit of mining unit to pump water to the
fields. "This year mining companies have refused to fill
diesel in the pumps and we are still waiting for the pump to
start. We are helpless. We went to meet the Chief Minister
this week. He has given us an assurance. Let's see what he
does for us", he says.

As a parting shot, he added, "One day there will be a more
serious and stronger agitation than the one happening at
Saleli. The poor have been oppressed and suppressed since
long by the mine owners with the help of the police,
bureaucracy and politicians. But one day, people will unite
and stand up in revolt. I just hope it is not too late."

Mining

The growth of mining activities is accompanied by
deterioration in quality of environment (air, water and land)
besides life. Mining operation involves drilling, blasting,
ripping, dozing, loading, waste disposal sizing and washing
ores in beneficiation plants.

AIR

Mining dust pollution is a major hurdle in the area. Trucks
carrying huge tons of ore raise large quantities of dust.
Though they are covered it doesn't help and the dust enters
home and people are forced to breathe this dust every moment.
The village during evenings appears to be shrouded in gloomy
pall of ore dust.

WATER

The factors contributing to discharge of water bodies are
discharge of mine pit water, waste water from wet
beneficiation plants, rain run-off from the dumps, effluent
from workshops, pumping out water to rivers and streams from
mines. Soil erosion and run off from mine dumps due to heavy
rains causes siltation of rivers, streams, nallahs and even
agriculture lands. Even the ground water is severely affected
and due this often the river, nallahs and wells in the area
have gone dry.

LAND

The villages which were two decades back completely
agricultural land with rabi and kharif crops have been
completely destroyed. For mining, land is required not only
for mine excavation but also for waste dumping, ore
stockyard, infrastructural facilities etc. Since the over
burden ration in Goa is more than 1:3 enormous waste material
is generated per tonne of iron ore and so huge area outside
the mining lease area is required for the dumping. Mining has
also effected the streams that irrigate the fields and in
certain cases the fields themselves. At some places
agricultural land has been converted to a dumping pit.