Mining in Goa : Beyond Forest Issues (original) (raw)

Iron-ore Exports and Goa’s Economy, 1962-2012: A Time-series and Cross-sectional Analysis

Indian Journal of Economics and Development, 2016

The changing contours for Goa State’s iron-ore export industry, its markets and resultant impact on domestic economy is documented across the space and time heterogeneity for the period over 5 decades, beginning the liberation of the State in 1962 till the mining ban by the Hon. Supreme Court in 2012.: The study broadly suggests a diminishing contribution of the iron-ore export activity to Goan economy over-time, reflecting an underlying compositional shift in the Goan economy. The changing composition of the export markets of reveals the changing competitiveness of iron-ore export in the international markets due to various extraneous factors. Further it seems that Goa’s iron-ore exports have eased concentration form Japan and are more headed towards the Chinese markets.

Catastrophic Failure of Public Trust in Mining : Case Study of Goa

Minerals are a commons, held by state governments in public trust for the people, especially for future generations. With mining, states dispose of minerals for money, and have so far lost more than half their value. As this study shows, over the last eight years of iron ore mining in Goa, each family of four in the state has lost the equivalent of Rs 13.51 lakh, while the average Goan private household’s assets are estimated to be Rs 10.44 lakh. This is catastrophic.

A paradise eclipsed:challenges for Goa’s environment

Introduction:-' A wild panther (Panthera pardus) was trapped from a private residence in Panaji's high class Miramar ward in April 2006" Miramar-Panaji/Panjim, is on the banks of Mandovi estuary. It is a densely populated area. How the panther reached there? Where it came from?. Is the island of Tiswadi losing its' residual green cover?. The capital city of India's smallest state, Goa, Panjim or Panaji, the 51 st richest town in India by bank deposits has been animatedly discussing this issue. It is indeed a surrealistic experience. Goa is on the verge of a serious environmental crisis. The signs are there on the horizon-destruction of the rich watersheds, pollution of traditional ponds and lakes, deforestation, removal of urban tree cover, cutting of the lush green hills, reclamation of the eco-fragile flood plains of the major estuaries, destruction of the low lying Khazan ecosystem, leveling of the coastal sand dunes, fragmentation of the natural habitats, interference in the natural migratory corridors of the wild animals, overuse of chemical fertilizers, Air pollution, dust pollution, impact of mining and quarrying, alluvial sand excavation, plastic waste, mountains of municipal solid waste, human-wild animal (elephants, monkeys, panthers) conflicts, erosion of wild and agrobiodiversity, gene pools and the most dangerous of all-the ecological and cultural simplification. An ecological historian's approach Goa has changed radically in the 20 th century. Four major environmental drivers-mining (post 1945), urbanization (post-1961), Industrialization (post-1971) and tourism (post-1972) have strongly impacted its' ecology and economy in the past 60 years. Understanding the transformation of the ecology and environment of Goa needs an approach of an ecological historian. In this paper the focus is mostly on the developments of the post-second world war period (1945-2005).

Konkan Railway Corporation: Choice of Alignment in Goa

Vikalpa, 1995

The Konkan Railway Corporation's project bridging the Konkan gap between Bombay and Mangalore has got embroiled in various controversies—environmental, political, as well as religious. The issue is not about the passage of the Konkan Railway through Goa as much as the choice of alignment among the many available alternatives. Readers are invited to send their responses on the case to Vikalpa office.

Destruction of fishing in Zuari river of Goa: A ground review

Journal of People's Studies, 2017

Zuari river is currently at the heart of the intense ground level conflicts of control over fishing spaces in the light of aggressive attempts to promote water sports and India’s first high tech marina. Indigenous fishermen are pitched against financial interests of tourism and shipping industries. The struggle that has taken forms of wrestling with the system as well open confrontation is ultimately directed to serve the interests of luxury tourism catering to high end tourist seeking change in use of Zuari river from fishing to water sports, marinas and casinos. This paper attempts to intersect the popular notion of complimentary of Food and Tourism through back end prism of ongoing community conflicts in river Zuari, the biggest river of Goa. Most tasty in plates and yet costly fish is hunted in this river. However the seeds of conflicts developed due to onward march of fishing practices that is unsustainable. Further, investment plans of tourism in terms of Marinas and water sports, is pushing the fishes away from plates. This paper covers the raging debates over dredging of Zuari and threats to livelihoods of people on banks of river Zuari. It further questions the corporate-State nexus currently in vogue against coastal dwellers of Zuari with excessive bias against these dwellers. The researcher’s personal involvement as well as participant observation has been the methodological tool in writing this paper.

The Independent Analysis of the Goa Regional Plan 2011

The Report of the Independent Analysis of the Goa Regional Plan 2011, 2007

Much has changed in Goa since 2007, when this analysis was written and presented. The population of the small state has grown, and the pressures on its land and water surfaces has increased. Most of the data given in this report will by now be partly or fully out-of-date. However the principles underlying the analysis remain current. The Regional Plan 2011 for the state of Goa, India, was presented to the people of Goa as a blueprint for development to come. Instead, as specific criticism - which this independent analysis compiled - and popular dissatisfaction - as evidenced by the public meetings and discourse that spread throughout the state from 2005 in response to this plan - showed, the 'development' of the planners proved to be very different from the peoples' concept of development. This analysis outlined the status of Goa (as on 2007) and criticised a planning process which was unrepresentative and provided no vision for the state that coherently brought together human, environmental and economic needs. That was then. Today in 2022 there has been no change to any of the directions mentioned in the independent analysis. On the contrary, motivated and opaque planning and land use decisions are taken more frequently than ever before. Amongst the most serious planning failures dealt with by the independent analysis of 2007 is the absence of meaningful consultation and participation, a lacuna whose impact was seen in every chapter. The independent analysis of 2007 was a key document used, during the struggle against top-down land use and land allocation in Goa, to legally and constitutionally push back against an industry-led idea of 'development'. It remains one of the few thorough and critical reviews of development planning and practice for Goa that have been produced during the last 20 years. Making this public (because the state government still has not) will perhaps inspire a new effort to update and broaden the central question: who is 'development' for and who does and does not participate in it?

Viability of Inland Water Transport in India

2006

Water based transport is effective as generally speaking, operating costs of fuel are low and environmental pollution is lower than for corresponding volumes of movement by road, rail or air. A major advantage is that the main infrastructure - the waterway - is often naturally available. This paper attempts to assess the viability of movement of passengers and freight by inland water transport in India. Inland waterways refer to rivers, canals, lakes etc. In inland water transport, the waterway, though naturally available, has to be "trained", maintained and upgraded. Transport over inland waterways is especially effective when the source and/or destination are waterfront locations. There is an overlap of this sector with coastal shipping where tidal rivers are involved. Legally, there are separate Acts covering inland waterways, the vessels that can ply on them and the setting up of the Inland Waterways Authority of India. Three waterways in the country have been designat...