Sonshi village in Sattari taluka, Goa has about 53 households and a population of over 350 individuals, most of whom belong to the scheduled tribes category. They are the original settlers of Goa and are generally known as ‘Bhumiputra’ or ‘Gawada’ (Son of the Soil).

Vasudev Gawde is a 10-year old resident of the village who has not seen his father for more than a week. Like him, there are several others who fear that it will be months before they see their family members as forty-five villagers of Sonshi, including 22 women, are stuck in Goa’s Colval sub-jail since April 11.

A decade-long protest

Sonshi has been in a decade-long fight against hazardous iron ore mining from all sides of the village, polluting its air and contaminating its drinking water.

The protest took a fresh turn on April 11 when 250 trucks filled with mine extracts on its way to the port were blocked by a human chain formed by villagers. The police put 45 of them behind bars for unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation.

All 45 have been granted bail, but remain incarcerated as none of their families has the Rs 10,000 bail amount imposed on each of them.

A complaint was filed by Advocate Aires Rodrigues with the Goa State Human Rights Commission on Tuesday which highlights the fact that over 350 inhabitants of Sonshi have been denied fresh air and water for the past few months due to the ongoing mining ore transportation.

Referring to a Supreme Court order of 2000, he mentioned in his complaint that access to clean drinking water is a fundamental right of life and it is the duty of the state under Article 21 to ensure the same.

Currently, two companies Fomento and Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore have 7 mining leases between them, with trucks plying iron ore through Sonshi to the port limits.

On April 11, the villagers had blocked the road, standing in the formation of a human chain to prevent 250 trucks filled with mine extract to pass through the village on its way to the port. This was the first active protest against extensive mining activities permitted by the state.

The villagers were asked to relocate to Honda nearby, but they rejected the suggestion on grounds that Sonshi belongs to them and they have the right to reside in the village.

The 45 individuals who were jailed last week remain in behind bars as they neither have the money to pay off their bail amount, nor do they wish to be released till their demands are met and the bail amount is reduced.

The condition of the village

Surrounded by mining activity on all sides, Sonshi is starved of water as the only well in the village has dried up after the mining began. The water table in the village has depleted and in some places gone completely dry. Where there is availability, the water remains heavily polluted with mining reject. Incidentally, mining corporations provide water to the village however, only once a day which is barely enough.

Speaking to The Logical Indian, activist and the panch (head) of Caurem village Ravindra Velip said that 1,200 trucks nearly make 16,000 trips every day through the village road. A truck passes through every three seconds or less, amounting to 25-30 trucks every minute.

Dust from iron ore extract has caused breathing problems among the villagers, with parents of most of the children enrolling them in schools outside Sonshi. The village school that once had 40 students, now only has eight.

“The villagers are suffering from tremendous dust pollution which makes it impossible to live,” said Velip.

Their houses, water sources, food, lands, cultivation are so heavily polluted by dust that they need to wash their homes at least thrice every day and there is no clean place to even dry washed clothes. The food that they consume is contaminated, their water sources have disappeared and their health is adversely affected, with villagers falling sick every 15 days.

Demands of the villagers

Mining around the periphery of the village has adversely affected the livelihood of its population. The crucial demands of the villagers include an ambulance and basic health facility, supply of clean drinkable water twice a day, jobs for their men, and rerouting of the trucks.

Activist Ravindra Velip further elaborated on the demands of the villagers:

Immediate release of all 45 villagers under judicial custody without any charges or criminal action. To stop the illegal mining taking place under the guise of implementation of Supreme Court order. Take urgent steps to setup an inquiry into the large-scale excavation of minerals and transportation and the role of the authorities and take stringent action against those involved in breaking the law. To immediately implement the directions issued by Hon’ble Supreme Court to control the Air and Water pollution in Sonshi village and the directions of the Director of Transports and other authorities for regulation of movement of trucks, control of air and noise pollution, to provide…