Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: As the pollution authority lacks monitoring of air quality in Mayem, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has temporarily stopped iron ore transportation from the village.
While hearing the matter, the High Court directed the mining companies to stop ore transportation from 2 particular TC no. at Mayem due to the Goa State Pollution Control Board’s lack of monitoring of air quality.
However, the Court has granted liberty to the transporting mining company to approach the Court for vacating the stay on transportation as and when monitoring stations setup by GSPCB.
The Court was hearing public interest litigation filed by ex Mayem sarpanch Sakharam Pednekar and Goa Foundation director Claude Alvares.
Mayem villagers had in March approached GSPCB seeking its intervention to stop the alleged illegal transportation of iron ore from their village.
Past few months, the villagers have been protesting the dust pollution caused due to transportation of auctioned iron ore and the bad road conditions.
The Bicholim Police had also arrested eight Mayem villagers, including sarpanch Seema Arondekar for allegedly blocking the road and obstructing the ore laden trucks.
The villagers complained that the roads had been dug for laying cables and accused the mining truck drivers of driving their vehicles in a rash and reckless manner, endangering their lives and blocking the transportation from Poira mines.
