Winter Electives 2019

Sem 6 \ Settlement studies Text: Tanvi Savla

Post Intensive Landscapes

The sixth semester settlement study project investigated the mining region region of Sonshi, a small settlement located in Goa. The intent of the visit was to look at the landscape of a resource extraction place and the changes encountered by it over time. Currently, the site has six unoperational mines which are now altered and being used as new forms of resources. The settlement thus, majorly consists of mine workers who are natives (Gawda Community) and other migrant workers from various parts of the country. The field study expanded to document the altered terrain that is generated as a result of intensive resource extraction and how it captures the smaller communities situated within it. Furthermore, the challenges of human settlement in relation to the altered resources and ecosystems in which they are embedded, were also studied. The alterations also affected the flora and fauna, mapping of which was another aspect. Lastly, the built environment in relation to the economic, political and cultural and social spheres and the methods of livelihood and community value systems were studied.

The studio was sought to ask four questions for three time periods (pre mining, during mining and post mining) which became the entry points for the field work.

What is the change in the landform and use of land ?

What are the alterations in resources ?

What are the alterations in the flora and fauna, biodiversity and landscape depletion?

What is the impact of the altered landscape on settlement, community and people?

Resources during mining: Extensive mining in Sonshi, affected the community and altered the resources. Farming was stopped and iron ore was looked as a potential resource by the people there. This allowed people from different parts of the country to migrate to Sonshi in search of work. The idea of division in Land started taking place with the building of boundary walls. Water table dropped since deep holes were dug in search of ore. Fresh water stream present earlier gradually decreased in width and started polluting.