Team Herald
PANJIM: March 13, 14 and 15. All mining stakeholders need to mark these dates. Not as red letter days but as a countdown to what could be long lonely winter for Goan mining. The mines department, notwithstanding the frequent attempts made by MLAs and stakeholders to knock the doors of Delhi, has virtually served eviction orders to Goan mining leaseholders.
The Mines Director in a communiqué to the Deputy Directors of Mines and Technical staff for implementation of the Supreme Court judgment of February 7, 2018, quashing the renewal of leases to 88 leaseholders has directed that all working leases should stop extraction of ore by 6 pm of March 13.
Despite the ruling MLA’s desperate attempts to ensure continuation of iron ore mining operations in the State after March 15, the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has initiated steps towards implementation of Supreme Court judgment, wherein the lease holders of working mines are directed to stop ore extraction activities from March 13.
DMG has also halted transportation activities after 6 pm from March 14 as well as asked the leaseholders to “preferably” clear the site with all kind of immovable machinery by March 15 afternoon.
The Supreme Court via an order dated February 7 quashed second renewal of 88 iron ore mining leases in Goa, while directing them to stop operations after March 15.
“The following instructions are issued to the Deputy Directors of the Mines Department and technical staff for implementation of the judgment of Honourable Supreme Court of India without prejudice to the rights of State of Goa or any other respondent in above mentioned matter which are sent for information,” DMG Director Prasanna Acharya has said in the order.
The DMG on Tuesday constituted four teams for inspecting working and non-working leases, which were granted second renewal of mining. As many as 47 leases were in operation for the current mining season, which commenced in October, 2017. The leases have extracted nearly nine million tonnes of ore for the current season.
The inspection teams have to cover all the non-working mines from March 7 (Wednesday) onwards and daily reports of working and non-working leases have to be properly documented. This is in addition to the daily monitoring and regulation of production, dispatch, transportation and trade of ore undertaken separately.
DMG has formed yet another team of technical staff comprising of officers of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Directorate of Mines Safety, Forest Department, MOEFCC and Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to inspect the status of mining leases from 1 pm onwards on March 15.
In case of working mines, leaseholders are directed to stop ore extraction from March 13. “However the inspecting teams should bring to the notice of officers and officials of such working leases about stoppage of ore extraction by 6 pm of March 13,” DMG Director Prasanna Acharya said.
“The transportation from stockyards, jetty or processing plants beyond March 14 of royalty paid ore may continue,” he said.
However, in case of leases granted second renewal, the ore transportation has to be stopped by 6 pm on March 14.
“The inspection teams have to inform the officials of leaseholders that all movable machinery should preferably be taken out from the leasehold area by 1 pm of March 15,” the order states.
However, the same is subject to otherwise directed or suggested by Office of Regional Controller of Mines or Regional Office of MOEFCC, Bangalore who are final authority with regards to mining operations in accordance with provisions of MMDR Act 1957 and Rules made there under and grant of environmental clearance and monitoring the compliance of terms and conditions specified therein respectively.
“Movement of e-auctioned cargo from working leases is stopped from (Wednesday) March 7 at least till March 16, which shall be allowed to be transported after necessary safeguards in place,” the director said.
Nearly 11 million tonnes of ore has been e-auctioned, while nearly half of the ore is still lying at the mining sites for transportation.
The department has begun the inspection with a focus on identification of stacks within the working leases/mines. The details of such stacks have to be collected in a bid to ascertain whether such stacks are either fresh extracted mineral or e-auctioned cargo or old dumps.
“Photographs of all such stacks shall be collected. All mining leaseholders who were granted second renewal should be directed to display a board as was done during inventorying of e-auctioned cargo with the details of stacks as to whether such stacks are from fresh production or e-auctioned cargo or waste dump, which is subject matter of writ petition No 435/2012,” DMG directed.
“The details as displayed during inventorisation of cargo before e-auction should also be mentioned on the board. This entire exercise shall be carried out and completed before March 10,” it added.
