SANJAY BORKAR
PONDA
With little respite from the Centre to tackle the latest mining crisis in the State and with the mines department issuing a timetable ahead of the Supreme Court’s March 15 deadline, the mining heartland of Dharbandora taluka faces an existential threat amid fears of survival if mining activity does not resume immediately.
On February 7, the Supreme Court had directed that all mining activity in Goa’s 88 operational iron ore mining leases be stopped after March 15, severely jolting those in the mining belt.
Dharbandora Taluka Truck Association President Vinayak alias Balaji Gawas told The Goan that almost 95 per cent of mining dependants from Dharbandora taluka would have no source of income if mining did not resume.
“Given the good mining business and employment opportunities prior to 2012, nobody had considered any business other than mining. Now, only about 5 per cent in the area may have an option to venture into other employment avenues,” Gawas said.
“When mining was suspended the last time, we had some money in hand which helped us provide sustenance to our families. The government had also helped us by implementing OTS scheme to repay loans.”
“When mining activity resumed again, we borrowed fresh loans to repair our trucks. With the latest decision on mining, most dependants will not have money even to feed their families,” Gawas added.
Gawas said the impact of the apex court’s order on mining would had widespread consequences in the entire region.
“Not only truckers, but even hotels and garages from this mining belt will have no business. We have no other option to earn our living.
“We can’t pursue farming as fields are not fertile and people had stopped growing crops. We request the government to help us and keep mining business operational,” he said.
Gawas added that disposing off their trucks was not even a viable solution.
“If we are to sell our trucks now, we will hardly get around Rs 4 to 5 lakhs and it will be a loss. If mining resumes, we will have to purchase trucks at Rs 23 lakh,” he said.
Vinay Naik, owner of Sulabha Engineering Garage at Kellini-Usgao, said the mining issue has created a huge problem and feared that people from the mining belt would become jobless.
“My son is an engineer and has no job. As a result, he is maintaining our trucks involved in mining. And now, even that will be difficult and he has no future. I too will have no business in my garage if mining is suspended,” Naik said.
“I had tried a goods carrier business with a national permit. But I couldn’t sustain it and faced losses. We now have a major problem before us and it pertains to our survival,” Naik added.
Dharbandora Sarpanch Swati Tilve said most people in the area are dependent on mining.
“Closure of mining activity will invite so many problems. I request the government to help this sector, to prevent people from suffering further,” Tilve said.
