The Hefty Price of Mining

Official report says the Goan mining scam is worth Rs35,000 crore. Activists peg the volume at Rs1.4 lakh crore. Farmers point to something priceless: ecology.

“Agriculture has come to a halt. Half the population of the village—like most others—has become financially dependent on the mining companies, as they took loans to buy trucks to transport the iron ore,” says Gaonkar.

About 400 million tonnes of iron ore has been extracted from Goa. Now hardly 300 million tonnes remain. At a rate of 50-60 million tonnes a year, mining can go on for a maximum of 10 years. After that the companies will pack their bags. And the people of Goa?  

The Week: Goan mining scam