Mininig cos to construct bridge in Goa

PANAJI: Mining companies will join hands to construct a bridge across a river in Goa's mining belt to facilitate the ore transport, officials said.

The Karnataka and Goa mining majors will chip in for this first ever kind of bridge, which will take shape over Mhadei river in Goa, Goa Infrastructure Development Company Pvt Ltd (GIDC) Coordinator Glenn Kalavampara, told the agency.

GIDC, a private company formed by Goa mine owners, is a nodal body executing infrastructure works in Goa's iron ore rich mining belt.

Following complaints of traffic congestion on the existing Usgaon bridge, constructed during Portuguese era, the GIDC has taken initiative to construct new four-lane steel truss bridge with Goa and Karnataka's mining firms paying for the project depending on the quantum of load carried by them over the bridge.

"Current bridge, which will be complimented by a new one is a connecting point to the iron ore mines and it carries carries 10 million tonne of iron ore annually by 3,000 trucks that cross the bridge every day," Kalavampara said.

Goa's mining giants like V M Salgaoncar, Sesa Goa, Salgaon Car Mining, V S Dempo, Chowgule Co, D B Bandodkar, Fomento and Infrastructure Logistic Limited along with Karnataka's Mineral and Sales Private Limited, Dodanavar Bros., V S Lad, Prasanna Ghodge, minerals and others are financing this 20 crore project, officials said.