The residents of Mulgao, a village in Goa, have decided to organize a march to the Goa Legislative Assembly to protest the GOVERNMENT’S failure to exclude houses, water bodies, and temples from the mining lease. The residents have been demanding that the mining be carried out in accordance with the mining lease, but their voices have gone unheard. Despite submitting several gram sabha resolutions to the government, the villagers feel that their demands have been ignored. The residents are particularly concerned about the proposed demarcation of the mining area, which would allow mining to take place as close as 50 meters from houses, water bodies, and temples.
The residents have organized a meeting to discuss the next steps, and have decided that they will march to the assembly with at least 400-450 farmers. The exact date of the march has not yet been decided. The meeting was attended by several local residents, including former sarpanch Trupti Gad, Govind Mandrekar, and Madhukar Halarnkar.
The residents are concerned that if the demarcation is done as proposed, it will lead to the destruction of their homes, water sources, and cultural heritage. They are determined to fight for their rights and hope that their march to the assembly will get the attention of the government and lead to a positive outcome. The residents are calling for the government to take their demands seriously and undo the neglect and indifference shown towards their plight. The march is a last resort for the residents, but they are resolute in their determination to protect their community’s future.