MINING SHOULD NOT BE AT THE COST OF AGRIGULTURE

PANJIM: A study by the national council of applied economic research (NCAER), about the underestimated share of mining to the GDP and other social benefits, saw those affected by mining acknowledge the industry's contribution but stress that it should not be at the cost of other age-old occupations.

Santosh Prabhudesai, a farmer from Colomba, a mining area in Quepem taluka, said it's true that if mining is shut down, around 75,000 persons will lose their jobs directly. "But mining should not be at the cost of agriculture, which has been carried out since time immemorial for our very sustenance," he said. Calling for sustainable operations, he said agriculture should be given due weightage.

"Mining activity will come to an end shortly, but agriculture will continue; but if agricultural land is destroyed, over two lakh people who sustain themselves will be affected," hesaid.

R Venkatesan of NCAER, whose study was released on Thursday, had found that the iron ore industry was the second-largest employer in Goa with 8,000 truck owners running 12,000 vehicles, and over 600 barges plying on inland waterways.

The mining industry has benefitted several families who faced unemployment in rural areas, Satish Gaonkar, a truck owner in one of south Goa's mining belts said. "We had no employment, barring agriculture, in our village. As it had limited potential for a few, hiring trucks for transportation helped us sustain our families," he said.

Sabina Martins, convener, Goa Bachao Abhiyan, on the other hand, stressed that the government should involve and engage people in the participation process as conflicts between livelihoods are rising. "In mining areas, there are conflicts between livelihoods of different people, especially between miners and farmers."

Stating that a debate is needed to discuss which livelihoods are more important, she said a participative process in development issues, be it in mining, tourism, and other sectors, can help address needs of every interest group instead of preferential treatment for the privileged classes.

Claude Alvares said he had not read the report, but as an economist had done it, he felt that it would lay more emphasis on economic aspects rather than the environment. "NACER's main capacity is in economics and not in environment, which they will downplay as they will not have analytical tools to assess environmental costs," Alvares said.

Stating that they have only looked at the obvious damage in terms of forest cover lost, he said that TERI had highlighted the damage caused by mining in the 90s when total ore produced was just 15 million tonnes. "It has gone up to 50 million tonnes now and the extent of damage too has multiplied several times," said Alvares.

A section of anti-mining activists felt that stress on economy and benefits at the cost of human index are lopsided. "If it is economy that matters for everything, then there is no point in talking about human index, culture and civilization," Ramesh Gawas of Bicholim said.

Pointing out that Goa is highly placed in terms of human development index and other parameters, he added, "Then what would be the point in India being part of the UN conventions and all environment summits?"