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PANAJI
According to reports, locals from Sonshi-Sattari had claimed that the mining company had permits for only 1200 trucks to carry out ore transportation, but complained that the firm was
also trying to use its 200 additional trucks.
Unhappy that this would generate further dust pollution, agitated locals from Sonshi blocked the trucks carrying ore from the company
on Tuesday.
The situation turned tense and 45 locals were arrested by the police and later remanded to judicial custody at the Colvale jail.
At a joint meeting convened by Bicholim and Sattari Deputy Collector Mahadev Araundekar with locals and
mining company representatives on Thursday, locals expressed their anger over the arrest and judicial custody of many of their villagers, who were raising their voicese against dust pollution.
The deputy collector later directed the company to stop ore transportation through the 200 additional trucks from Saturday.
Reacting to concerns from villagers that the arrested locals are still in Colvale jail as part of their judicial custody, the deputy collector advised the locals to seek bail of those lodged in jail.
However, the locals claimed they did not have the money to bail out the protesters.
