From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Jun 16: The cases of new liquor outlets being opened are on rise in the iron ore rich mining belt, where economy is booming but people are living on the edge due to pollution, a veteran environmentalist has said.
Ramesh Gawas, a crusader against the rampant mining atrocities, told reporters that liquor consumption has become serious problem in the mining belt which is reflected in the number of liquor outlets (Bars) opened in this area.
Quoting the statistics from state excise department, Gawas said that the number of bars in the mining belt has gone up from double to four digits. He said that the number is much more in comparison to tourist belt areas.
“One reason can be because of booming economy. But people are falling prey for the pollution and diseases,” he added.
An international human rights organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW), today released the detailed study report `Out of Control: Mining, Regulatory failure and human rights in India.’
Gawas has teamed up with the HRW in releasing this report, which has claimed that India’s government has failed to enforce key human rights and environmental safeguards in the country’s mining industry.
The environmentalist, who is also a Right to information (RTI) activist, said that there has no change on the ground level, even three months after Manohar Parrikar government took over the reigns of the state.
“On the ground, I see no change. The change is only in the type of arguments floated about mining industry. Attempts are made to camouflage the illegal mining industry,” Gawas said.
“The rivers in mining belt are critically polluted but neither State pollution control board nor central pollution control board has an accurate data about it,” he added.
The HRW’s report which was released today finds that deep-rooted shortcomings in the design and implementation of key policies have effectively left mine operators to supervise themselves.
The organization has said that `this has fuelled pervasive lawlessness in India’s scandal-ridden mining industry and threatens serious harm to mining affected communities.’ ’