Team Herald

PANJIM: Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Saturday granted consent to operate to seven more mining leases. However, consent to five mining leases is pending.

“We have granted consent up to now to eight mines with total extraction capacity of 2 million odd tonnes. Five more consents will probably be issued on Monday,” officials said.

“For these leases, consent to operate was approved by the board during its meeting last month. However, consent to seven mining leases in Sonshi are yet to be granted,” officials said

These eight mines have an accumulated extraction of 2.365 million tonnes per annum while the bank guarantee amount comes to Rs 2,87,50000.

“The capping by the Supreme Court is 20 million so only 10 percent is permitted,” the official further said. 2 MT iron ore will be allowed to be extracted. Extraction capacity of Sonshi mines will be decided afresh, officials said. 

Operations of 12 mining leases in Sonshi were suspended by the Board in April, following complaints of high pollution from the villagers and suo motu cognisance of this by the High Court of Bombay at Goa.  

GSPCB had decided to give 19 mining leases consent to operate, including seven out of the 13 mines in the Sonshi cluster while the board had a draft agenda to consider 45 applications of mining units at its meetings and took the decision regarding 19 leases.

Besides, the board has decided to issue six mining firms showcause notices for withdrawal of environment clearance (EC), as these had been obtained under the 1994 EIA notification with a relevant five-year expiry and had been extended later.