PANJIM: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) has kept on hold the applications for grant of environmental clearance (EC) for sand mining activities in River Chapora pending matter before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had approached SEIAA with the application seeking EC.
The Goa River Sand Protectors Network (GRSPN) in November 2021 had filed the appeal before the Tribunal stating that the Goa-SEIAA had granted four environment clearances at four different locations in River Chapora- Zone 1 in Morjim, Zone 2 Pirna, Zone 5 Ozorim and Zone Agarwada permitting sand mining. It alleged that the environment clearances by the Goa-SEIAA are against the law laid down by the Supreme Court and the tribunal, besides violating the Union Environment Ministry’s January 15, 2016 notification.
The DMG has now applied for EC for Camurlim in Zone 3 of Part II and Zone 4 in Revora.
The NGT via an order dated March 17 stated that SEIAA cannot issue any permits for sand extraction in the state till the final hearing takes place.
“After perusing the order dated 17/3/2023, issued by National Green Tribunal, Western Bench Pune, the Authority decided to put the matter on hold until the final hearing of NGT,” reads the minutes of the meeting held on June 20.
The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had not renewed or granted sand mining permits for the last five seasons – 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 – after GRSPN had approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking restrictions on the number of sand mining permits. DMG had issued over 300 sand mining permits for the 2017-18 seasons with a cap of 6,000 cum on extraction.
The Goa-SEIAA had in October 2021, granted Environment Clearance (EC) to North Goa District Collector to carry out sand mining in four zones of River Chapora, manually by traditional communities. The decision of SEIAA was based on a report submitted by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).
Based on the EC granted by SEIAA, the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had in December 2022 invited applications from persons from the local community for grant of sand extraction permit for 1,000 cubic meter for one year in these zones.
