Govt fears harm to environment from ore lying at mine heads

TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: Goa government has expressed fears that the ore lying unattended to at mine heads and storage points would cause environmental degradation, since a ban on the mining activities was imposed in the State.

The government claimed that emotional trauma of people working in the mining industry and children dropping out from school are among the other major (adverse) effects due to the suspension of mining.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the State legislative assembly during the question hour Wednesday that there have been eight major effects due to cessation of mining since last September. Elaborating on two environmental impacts Parrikar said, “There is a possibility of environmental degradation as the ore is lying at mine head and storage points unattended to. (There is) less supply of water to reservoirs because of non-pumping of water.”

The other effects, Parrikar told the House was ~ loss of revenue to the State Exchequer, loss of business, loss of employment in ancillary business of mining industry and loss of foreign exchange. An amount of Rs 564 crore was also expected to be earned in the form of royalty on the exports.

Nevertheless, Goa government has earned revenue of Rs 280 crore from the stamp duty for the renewal of 12 to 14 mining leases during the ban period from September 2012 till date.

Parrikar, responding to a question by Congress MLA Jennifer Monserrate, said these mining leases were operating free of cost for about 25 years. “The renewals were made after ascertaining all the legal aspects,” he said.

The mining industry had been hit by allegations of illegalities which were quantified and systematised by the Public Accounts Committee and the Shah Commission report.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court put an ad interim ban on extraction and transportation of iron ore in the State after a petition was filed by Goa Foundation.