Goa mining ban resulting in domestic violence: Survey

The ban on mining in Goa had led to a rise in domestic violence in affected families due to joblessness and financial woes, a survey by think-tank Goa Livelihood Forum (GLF) has found. The 'Goa Livelihood Report 2020', released on Tuesday, said household incomes had depleted by half after the mining ban, due to which "incidences of domestic violence have increased due to joblessness and financial crunch".

It said women and children are the worst sufferers due to shutting down of the state's mining sector in March, 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed leases and banned extraction of ore. Goa is witnessing its worst phase in employment generation, and rate of unemployment in the state is 34.5 percent, which is the highest in the country, said Charudutta Panigrahi, mentor of Forum for Integrated Development and Research (FIDR), an organisation that supports GLF.

"In addition to rising unemployment, the mining stoppage has damaged the state's social fabric to a great extent. It has not only caused revenue damage and job loss but has led to major loss of investor confidence, which would have a long-term negative impact on Goa's economy," he said.

He said for two consecutive years, the Goa government, in its annual budgets, has conceded that around 20 percent the state's GDP decline is attributable to mining (stoppage).

"Stoppage of iron ore mining in Goa has impacted revenue of over Rs 34 billion annually," he added.