PANJIM: Goa Mining People’s Front held a public meeting at Curchorem to impress upon the Government to end the mining crisis in the State.

Addressing the meeting All India Trade Union General Secretary Christopher Fonseca said a sudden ban on mining was uncalled for and as a result livelihoods of thousands were affected. He said if the Government fails to resolve the crisis, then the mining-dependent people would be forced to unleash a militant-type struggle to ensure that mining activity commences.

PANJIM: Syngenta India Limited, Corlim, and three other steel companies have agreed to install online stack emission, effluent and ambient air quality monitoring system, bringing the total number of companies which have agreed to comply, to eight, since Monday.

While the steel production units- Shrithik Ispat, Shraddha Ispat Private Limited, and Ambey Metallic Limited have agreed to install the system and asked for four-five month time, Syngenta India Limited has sought time till August 2013 to comply.

PANJIM: The Supreme Court’s (SC) Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which was unable to submit its report within the stipulated period to the apex court, has sought additional information from State government over iron ore production, export and sale within the country, for last five years from 2006-2011.

The three members of CEC, who were down in Goa, last month had inspected around 12 mines in North and South Goa. The committee has now asked for additional information on environment clearance, mining plans, production and export along with the royalty figure, for the last five years. The committee has asked for information on sale of iron ore within the country, if any.

PONDA: Even as Ponda Police has registered an offence against the bus driver involved in the mishap that claimed the life of a lecturer, residents of Konem have raised fears over a possible threat to natural water resources due to a diesel leakage from the tanker.

It may be recalled that a speeding Ponda-bound passenger bus collided with a tanker loaded with diesel along the highway at Konem near Farmagudi Police outpost on Wednesday evening.

BICHOLIM: The issue of no-objection certificates (NOC) granted by the panchayat secretary to mining companies in the village dominated the recent Mayem-Vaiginim gram sabha.

At a special gram sabha held recently, residents highlighted the problems faced by truck owners, while others came down heavily on mining companies. During the discussion, residents alleged that the panchayat secretary had given several NOCs to mining companies. The villagers demanded to know on what grounds the NOCs were given and what exactly were those NOCs.

PANJIM: At a time when the government is promising to enact a policy to compensate people who lose land to government projects, farmers from Merces and neighbouring areas have become victims of the unsympathetic attitude of the government over compensation for land lost towards the Ribandar bypass via Kadamba plateau connecting Panjim to Old Goa on National Highway 4A.

Farmers from Merces, Roque Fernandes, Mario Fernandes and many others question whether Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar~during whose previous tenure the bypass was proposed and constructed~will help land losers or forsake them as they face hard times as the remaining parts of the field have become uncultivable.

MAYEM: Residents of Navelim on Sunday demanded with the State government to restart legal mines in the State.

The residents made the demand at the Navelim Gram Sabha, which was specially called by the panchayat to discuss the crisis faced by truck owners and others dependent on mining. Most of the speakers at the gram sabha raised different problems faced by the mining related components like truck owners, garage owners, spare part shop owners, businessmen engaged in tyres and tube selling, truck drivers, cleaners and others dependent on mining.

PANJIM: PWD Minister Sudin Dhawlikar launched a campaign against use of plastic at a function organised by Kundai Panchayat in Ponda taluka recently.

On the occasion, Dhawlikar lauded the initiative of Kundai panchayat for launching awareness drive which he said would go a long way in creating mass awareness among the people about plastic and its bad effects on health and environment. Dhawalikar expressed satisfaction over the theme chosen by the Kundai panchayat “Avoid Plastic and Save Village”.

The mining scam unfolding in Goa has been throwing up the names of more and more leaders of the Congress and the NCP who have alleged links to the mining business, direct or indirect.

Only 13 out of 40 mines, which have been served the order to stop operations for failure to obtain forest or wildlife clearances, were actually in operation, while 27 are non working, according to information provided to Goa Foundation (GF) by mines department under RTI.

Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has submitted a list of 40 mines to GF, which are been directed to suspend operations till they produce approval of Chief Wildlife Warden and forest clearances.