Mission Bypass continues agitation

Margao: Residents to Tilamol, Quepem, Curchorem, Sanvordem and surrounding areas gathered at the Tilamol junction for the second consecutive day, on Tuesday, in a bid to stop mining transportation passing through Tilamol. As mining transportation remained suspended on Tuesday, too, the protestors decided to carry on with their agitation until their demand - no mining transportation before a mining bypass road - is met.The protestors will gather at the Tilamol junction every morning to prevent mining transportation.
"We welcome their decision of keeping ore transportation suspended. In the interest of lives of people, we now urge them to keep trucks off the road until the mining bypass is constructed," Pradip Kakodkar, the convenor of Mission Bypass, which is spearheading the agitation, told TOI.
The protestors also held a meeting with the priest of the Tilamol church, who, it is learnt, has extended support to the agitation. They then visited the Xeldem gram panchayat, the gram sabha of which has already passed a resolution that no transportation be carried out unless a dedicated mining corridor is constructed. The panchayat members voiced their support in favour of the bypass.
Referring to reports that over 2,000 mining trucks have been debarred by the directorate of mines and geology (DMG) for overspeeding, Kakodkar said, "This only vindicates our view that people residing in the mining belt are living in fear and threat of being mowed down by these killer trucks. "A dedicated mining corridor alone will, to a large extent, reduce this threat." tnn