Heartbreak at High Noon

It’s lunch time in the village of Amona. With the rain lashing down, most of the village shops and houses are closed. Laxmi Naik resides in the house closest to the Sesa Goa pig-iron factory. She is in her late 70’s and none of her family members work at any of the Sesa factories. She said, “Since our house is closest to the factory, we were always affected by the smell that emitted from the factory.” She is happy now that not much activity is taking place at the factory.
A little further at the village square The Goan was introduced to Tiku. A transport contractor in his fifties Tiku has been associated with the Sesa plants for the past three years. Speaking cautiously he said “Yes, we are worried about the news of the closure of the plants.” According to his estimates nearly 1,000 to 1,200 people earn their livelihood by working directly or indirectly for Sesa. And all of them are going to be affected. On an average 15-20 trucks supply the factory with lime and iron ore, during the season, starting in September. But with a shortage in the supply of lime and iron ore having dropped from Karnataka, business has reduced. “There are days when we have 15 trucks and days when we have only two trucks visit the plants. We do not know what the future holds,” he said. ‘The Goan’ tried to speak to him further, but he clamped up. According to the villagers, “Every house in the village has at least one person working at the Sesa plants.”
Once buzzing with activity, Sesa’s pig-iron plant in Amona plant is like a ghost town. At one place a few labourers were seen loading a single truck with lime. At another place, covered under blue plastic sheets were heaps of iron ore and stones used in the pig-iron beneficiation plants. All attempts to elicit a response proved futile. One worker said, “We can’t speak without permission from the top”.
Back in the village, villagers directed the team from your newspaper to the home of Devanand Naik.  He does not work at the plant but supplies 25 workers at the plant and earns Rs.15,000 a month. His wife Meena Naik said, “My husband works on contract in another office.  There is no security as a contract worker. The Sesa contract ensured we had a steady income. With this additional income we were able to build our home. I don’t know what will happen if the plant shuts.” Devanand said, “It is going to be extremely bad not only for me but for the entire village too.”
It is expected that 90 per cent of the population in Amona will be affected if the Sesa plants shut down.  And the threat is real. And the irony is harsh. The residents almost wish the potent smell emitting from a functional plant could start all over again.