Ramdev trust takes on illegal mining in Goa

He also said that Swami Ramdev will hold a public meeting here on March 25.

“Goa will have a Japan-like crisis considering the current pace of mining,which is extensively polluting our water-bodies and converting paddy fields into mining pits,” Ranu Prabhudesai,an anti-mining activist,said.

According to a rough estimate,18 per cent of the iron ore exported from Goa comes from illegal mines. The state has 100-odd legal mining leases.

Dattaram Desai,another activist,said they were only opposing illegal mining. “We are against irrational and illegal mining. But legal mines,too,should be regulated,” said Desai,who earlier headed massive agitation against Thapar Du Pont Limited’s project here.

Kalidas Sawaikar,an award-winning farmer,said the mining industry can be replaced by cashew cultivation,which can fetch equal amount of foreign exchange.

Other activists including Krishna Pednekar said some mines which were abandoned 57 years ago are being revived without proper clearance. “These mines should have been shut down permanently,” he said.