Protest against mines intensify

Protests against the mining project at Kalne village in Dodamarg taluka near Savantwadi are getting louder, with environmentalists stepping in to save the rich biodiversity of the region. Villagers have already been protesting the proposed mining project of a Mumbai-based company, Minerals and Metals, for over a month now.

Vaishali Patil, a social activist who is spearheading the protest, alleged that if mining was allowed, the locals would be worst-hit. According to her, around 1,000 people in the village are completely dependant on natural resources in the area for their livelihood.

Mines would severely affect ground water sources and agriculture in the region, she alleged. Refuting the claims that mines would generate employment, Patil said a mine would employ a total of just 320 people comprising 135 drivers and as many cleaners, 25 unskilled labourers and an equal number of skilled ones, while over 1,000 people would be rendered jobless.

Environmentalist Dr Jayendra Parulekar, who heads Konkan Rakshan and Samruddhi Manch, says that according to a survey conducted by National Geographic Society, the Western Ghat is among the 18 biodiversity hotspots of the world. “Only two areas in India - Western Ghat and Eastern Himalayas - are included in the list. Mining activity will completely destroy it,” Parulekar said. The biodiversity in Konkan is so rich that it has taken 2,500 years to evolve to the current stage. If destroyed, it will take as much time to be restored, he added.