Margao: With mining activity expected to expand in South Goa, citizens have demanded that govt first put in place a clear transportation roadmap and adequate infrastructure to prevent a return to the chaotic road conditions that prevailed before mining was halted in 2012.While mining dependents are upbeat about the prospect of renewed activity, residents living along ore transportation routes fear increased truck movement will compromise road safety and disrupt daily life.Pradeep Kakodkar, a leader of Mission Bypass, which was formed to demand a dedicated mining corridor before mining came to a halt in 2012, said govt must spell out its plans before operations are scaled up.Reacting to chief minister Pramod Sawant’s statement that large-scale mining would begin soon, Kakodkar said assurances about the resumption of mining routinely surface ahead of elections.“Two to three months before every election, be it the Zilla Panchayat, Lok Sabha or Assembly, we get such an assurance on the resumption of mining. If the chief minister’s statement is a political stunt, we have no problem with it. But if it is a serious statement, we demand a proper roadmap on how the government intends to go about it. We have been demanding this for long,” he said.He said govt must disclose how much ore remains in Goa, the period over which it will be extracted and how mining will be carried out sustainably.Govt must also assess which roads will be used, the number of tipper trucks to be deployed and whether a dedicated mining bypass is required, he said.“Making roads unsafe for the common man again will be unacceptable. If a mining bypass is needed, build it by all means, but first prepare a roadmap, make it public, and assess the requirement,” Kakodkar said.A clear roadmap would also help truck operators plan their businesses instead of being left uncertain about future prospects, he added.Speaking at a mining conference on Thursday, Sawant said dump mining could have an annual production capacity of 25 million tonnes. Along with fresh mining, Goa has the potential to produce 45 million tonnes annually. At full capacity, block and dump mining could generate around Rs 4,000 crore in annual revenue and create 4,000-5,000 direct and indirect jobs.Of the 17 mineral blocks auctioned so far, six have been operationalised, with annual production reaching around 19.2 million tonnes, close to Supreme Court-prescribed ceiling of 20 million tonnes. Another round of block auctions is planned next year, subject to statutory approvals.The transportation challenges are already evident. Ore movement in Sanvordem, which resumed after more than a decade, was stalled for days last week after local truckers objected to the deployment of trucks from outside the area.Sources said transporters awarded tenders are expected to begin moving dumps from leases along the Rivona-Sanguem route shortly. Mining is also likely to start soon at the Kalay mineral block, adding to transportation activity and truck deployment.
