MINING CORRIDOR IN A PHASED MANNER APPROVED

PANJIM: The construction of a 40-km mining corridor in a phased manner, exclusively for transportation of iron ore in Sanguem was approved by the Goa cabinet on Wednesday. Chief minister Digambar Kamat said the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) will undertake the project in three phases and work of the first phase will be awarded soon.

Kamat further stated that a memorandum of understanding between the government, mining companies and GSIDC is being worked out. "The mining companies have shown willingness to bear the entire cost," Kamat said. Kamat had informed the Goa assembly last year that mining companies had agreed to provide a corpus of 500 crore for the project.

"The land acquisition for the bypasses will be handled by the government," Kamat said on Wednesday. Modalities for the project including toll structure, sharing of costs between mining companies and other aspects are being worked out.

The first phase 9-km long segment of the bypass is from Uguem to Guddemol and is estimated to cost about 80 crore. A tender will shortly be issued for the second phase, the 13-km stretch from Guddemol to the loading point at Capxem. The third phase is of a separate 18-km stretch from Cavrem to Curdi that will avoid Quepem.

Protests erupted during recent weeks, especially in Rivona and Quepem in South Goa and Amona and Sirsaim in North Goa regarding overloading and problems caused by ore spilling onto the road. The incidence of overloading has reduced slightly after the transport department started a drive to issue challans—around 300 have been issued during the last few days—to truckers violating the directive of the high court of Bombay at Goa. Around 12,000 mining trucks are involved in iron ore transportation in the state's mining belts.