*****"Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part I - 17. Mining in Goa : 17.2 Footprints of mining : Local air quality, Agriculture; - 17.3 Governance Issues : i. The EIA, Environmental Clearance Process, and EC violations :-
Opinion
09/10/2018
1454.
**"Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part I - 17. Mining in Goa :-
17.2 Footprints of mining - continued
i. Local air quality :-
There is massive movement of minerals by road as well as rail from Karnataka to Goa for the purpose of blending with local ore for its upgradation as well as export by miners through Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) and for 5 sponge iron plants located in Goa. An ongoing TERI study estimates that 39% of emission loads for PM10 in Goa are from the mining region and 25% from industry. It is observed that trucks have been using NH4A and transporting ore upto Usgao to access further shipment through barges to MPT. This has been creating enormous traffic problems as well as environmental hazards along its route due to ore spilling over the wayside by overloaded, and often uncovered, trucks. Many accidents are observed in the ore transport route. Studies have also estimated that exposure to air pollution (especially respirable suspended particulate matter) is high in the mining clusters and transport corridors in Goa, affecting the health of local communities.
ii. Agriculture :-
Agriculture has also been severely affected in the area due to extraction of ground water, vast areas being covered by siltation and mining dust, thus destroying farms and livelihood (TERI, 1997; Kerkar, 2010; Goa Team Presentation to the WGEEP, 2010). Agricultural fields at the foothills of the dumps and mining areas have been severely impacted due to siltation from mining. This has led, at times, to serious conflicts between those involved in agriculture and mining in the area. A current case in point is Colomba village in Sanguem taluka, where 23 mining concessions granted during the Portuguese regime are located and which cover 75% of the village. A few of these mines have already commenced activities. In other words this agricultural village is under the shadow of being completely consumed by mines, leading to local agitation. Another village is that of Caurem. Kerkar (2010) in his paper to the WGEEP notes ‚Very few villages in Goa are blessed with the ecological heritage of sacred groves, perennial springs and rich forests like that of Cavare of Quepem in south Goa. But today, (the) very existence of Cavare is threatened on account of increasing mining activities.? Agriculture and mining, people and mining companies, are pitted against each other. Current laws offer inadequate compensation for those whose land and livelihood is taken away by mining.
Many of these environmental and social impacts do not get reflected when one hears of the value that mining contributes to the gross state domestic product (GSDP). An exploratory study to value some of the impacts of mining in Goa using 1996/97 data, for example, suggested that even if this partial accounting of the environmental and social impacts is netted out of the value created by mining activity in terms of value added to GSDP, the ‚true income? would be only 15% of reported income (Noronha, 2001; TERI, 2002, ). More recent papers in response to the NCAER Report (2010) suggest that the benefit-cost ratios no longer favour mining in Goa (Basu, 2011; Mukhopadhyay and Kadekodi, 2011).
The total failure to implement the community forest resources provisions of FRA in Goa has absolutely no justification. To take a specific case, the Devapon Dongar mine of Caurem village in Quepem taluka of Goa is located on a hill sacred to the Velips, a Scheduled Tribe group, and to sanction a mine on this hill against serious local opposition, and without completing the implementation of FRA is thoroughly inexcusable.
Illegal mining is observed in Goa, both in terms of no clearances obtained, fraudulent EIAs and/or flouting of conditions of environmental clearances. The Panel has obtained a list of mines that are flouting environmental conditionalities in terms of extracting ore beyond output limits.
i. The EIA, Environmental Clearance Process, and EC violations :-
The EIA process which is so central to protect the ecosystems in the Western Ghats was found to be defective at several points. :-
* These relate to the poor quality of EIA reports and the process of public hearings. Not only were EIAs seen at times to be fraudulent, but it is found that the minutes of public hearings are also manipulated. We have seen and heard of cases where the EIA consultant did not visit the village or did not conduct appropriate surveys and impact studies. EIAs are prepared by agencies employed by project proponents and are therefore under tremendous pressure to tweak the information so as to facilitate clearance. They are consequently riddled with incomplete and often patently false information. For example, the EIA report for Devapon Dongar mine of Caurem village in Quepem taluka of Goa states that there are no water courses in the mine lease area. Field inspection by WGEEP revealed the presence of two perennial springs.
* The EIAs are particularly weak in the sections on biodiversity and socio-economic issues. For instance, they commonly dismiss as barren land, the ‘sada’s’ or the wind swept plateaus of the Western Ghats with stunted tree growth. These plateaus are very rich in biodiversity, being habitats of many endemic herbaceous plants, are a major source of fodder for livestock, and sources of streams that are vital to the life in valleys surrounding them.
* Given that EIA reports are not to be trusted, the role of the Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) for the sector becomes that much more important. The Composition of the Environmental Appraisal Committee (EAC) is considered inadequate since it does not always have representation from the region in which the project is to be located. Many problems emerge because the EAC does not have a sense of the place and also knowledge of what other activities may be stressing the region when the new project is being proposed. Since EAC deliberations take place in Delhi, without, most often, a visit to the project site, local level pressures and concerns are not always understood, since the EIA report is defective and the public hearing minutes are manipulated Given this, reliance on faulty EIA reports makes a mockery of the whole regulatory process.
* States, such as Goa, felt that the EC 2006 notification reduced the SPCB to post offices; little state/local input permeated into the EC process.9 However, at other places it was
8 WGEEP observations are based on field work, consultations with GOG, SPCB etc., and more generally on R Dutta and R Sreedhar, 2010; Asaniye PH April 2010: N Alvares, 2010; Goa team presentation to the WGEP, 27 September 2010; felt that the SPCB acted against the interests of the local people by misleading the EAC of the MoEF.
* The perception of the State government is that its views or the State Pollution Control Board’s views do not find place in the whole procedure and process post 2006 except in the Consent to Establish which in any case happens only after the MoEF has given its clearance. States do have a veto-under the ‚consent to establish? requirement but that needs to be exercised better. It was felt that pressure to give consent is high post the clearance from the MOEF.
* Environmental Clearances are given to individual projects so the cumulative Impacts of Projects are ignored10
* Despite poor history of compliance, the Project Promoter is granted clearance for new projects. For example, most of those mines found extracting more than the norms laid down in their ECs and consents have been granted renewal by the Pollution Board.)
In the absence of any transparent, participatory monitoring process, the conditions imposed while according Environmental Clearance are often violated. The Environmental Clearance granted stipulates that if there are any water courses, they should not be disturbed and that dense natural vegetation be maintained for a distance of 50 meters on either side of the water courses. Field inspection revealed that these conditions were totally violated; that the streams are dammed, their flow diverted and stream bank vegetation destroyed. There is on-going serious social strife in this area due to this and other such violations of conditions. This state of affairs has led to enormous disaffection in the state regarding mining activity. The PILs against mining in this state also support the increased public opposition to what mining is doing to the local environment here (Box 12).
* It is held by the former Secy, MoEF, P Ghosh, that SPCB in forwarding the minutes can (and should) give the views of the State and the MoEF would be bound to consider them. However, he stated, that the procedure can be re-visited to provide a separate forum for inputs (not veto!) by the State Personal communication, 2011.
* Since the year 2003, for example, about 141 Environmental Clearances have been granted fofor mining in a small state like Goa, and predominantly in the Western Ghat talukas of the State.
To be continued....
JAIHIND
VANDEMATHARAM
***
Comments
Post a Comment