After farmers threatened to commit suicide protesting grant of mining leases in Bichwa and Tekadi villages in Saoner tehsil, two mining officials visited Bichwa to take stock of the situation.
TOI on February 17 reported how four affected farmers from Bichwa threatened to commit suicide after forcible acquisition of farm land for dolomite and manganese extraction. Conservationists also said mining activity will pose threat to tiger corridor, especially against the backdrop of Mansinghdeo wildlife sanctuary coming into being.
On Thursday, S F Chahande, deputy director with directorate of geology and mining (DGM), Maharashtra, and district mining officer B M Bomidwar visited Bichwa to take stock of the situation. Both talked to the villagers and asked them to wait till 2016, when the 20-year mining leases granted in 1996 to Balwant Kuhite expire.
However, over 30 farmers led by aggrieved Suresh Bhapkar were not ready to listen and wanted the state government to scrap the leases immediately. "Our livelihood is based on agriculture. We won’t part with our land and want the mining leases to be cancelled," said Gajanan Dhole, a farmer.
Teachers and students of a school in Bichwa also complained that empty dumps and pits were posing a danger to them. There are no minerals in these dumps. Bomidwar reiterated that the issue is of land acquisition. "We will not allow any mining unless environment clearance is granted to the lessee. A report on the issue will be submitted to director of geology and mining soon," he told TOI.