PANJIM: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) has informed the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) that all the environmental clearances (ECs) granted by the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) for minor minerals have expired as on date.
Based on directives by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and a subsequent office memorandum issued by the Union environment ministry, the Goa-SEIAA had earlier revoked all environment clearances granted for mining (of minor minerals) by the DEIAA.
Earlier last month, the Goa-SEIAA had written to the district collectors informing them that all those who got environment clearances for minor mineral extraction from January 15, 2016, to September 13, 2018, will have to get their clearances again from the state authority.
“The Authority decided to convey to the Directorate of Mines & Geology informing that all the Environmental Clearances granted by the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority have expired as on date,” said SEIAA.
As per the ministry’s directives, all fresh environment clearances for such projects will be granted only by the Goa SEIAA, based on an appraisal carried out by the Goa state expert appraisal committee (Goa-SEAC).
In Goa, the SEIAA has granted ECs for sand mining in the past. But in a few cases, DEIAA has issued ECs for quarrying activities.
The principal bench of the NGT had held in an order in September 2018 that mining projects with lease areas of up to 5ha should be evaluated by the SEAC, based on whose recommendation the SEIAA and not the DEIAA can grant the clearance. Accordingly, the Union environment ministry had issued directions to states and UTs to comply with the NGT’s order.
On April 28, the ministry gave States one year to complete the exercise of re-evaluating the projects and deciding on the ECs accordingly.
