Goa: Sanvordem locals protest ore transit

MARGAO: Enraged over unbridled mining transportation through the village, a group of locals from Capxem, near Sanvordem, marched to the local office of a major mining firm and demanded an explanation over the steep rise in the movement of mining trucks from its mine along the Kalay–Cuddegal–Sanvordem–Capxem route.
Holding the firm guilty of blatant violation of all mining transportation rules, villagers demanded that the firm reduce the number of trips of mining trucks to 650 per day. They claimed that the firm transported a mammoth 1,500 truck trips of ore on Friday. The villagers have warned of taking to the streets in protest if the firm fails to heed their demand.
Sources said that the density of mining traffic along the South Goa’s mining belt has increased over the last one week with as many as 10 mining firms carrying out mining transportation from their mines to the Capxem jetty.
What has particularly irked the locals is the fact that not a single policeman was found manning the mining traffic on Wednesday when the traffic congestion created bottlenecks at various points throughout the day. This was in stark contrast when police provided security cover to Fomento to transport its ore when it resumed its transportation over a week ago, with more than 200 policemen standing guard at every several metres along the same stretch.
Locals pointed out that the unrestrained movement of mining trucks along this road, which has witnessed scores of fatal accidents involving mining trucks, coupled with enormous dust pollution has been posing serious threat to the lives and health of the locals and other road users, particularly to pedestrians and two-wheelers.