PANJIM: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will on August 11, conduct an environmental public hearing for prior environmental clearance (EC) for production of 3 million tonnes of iron ore annually from Bicholim Mineral Block, by Vedanta Limited. The mining lease auctioned to Vedanta in December 2022 is valid for 50 years from the date of execution.
The public hearing on the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Bicholim Mineral Block I will be held on August 11 at 10.30 am at Narayan Zantye Multipurpose Sports Complex, Sarvan, Bicholim. The mineral block with an area of 478.5206 ha is located in Bicholim, Bordem, Lamgao, Mulgao, Mayem and Sirigao villages of Bicholim Taluka with production capacity of 3.0 MPTA of iron ore.
The hearing will be conducted to know the concerns of the affected persons, who can express their views or seek information or clarifications from the project proponent.
According to the notice, the Vedanta Limited intends to obtain prior environmental clearance for operation of the lease from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
The proposed mineral block area is having about 84.743 million tonnes of mineral reserves & resources. The life of the mine will be 30 years which may enhance based on the future results of exploration planned during the Mining Plan period. However, the lease is valid for 50 years.
The project proponent said that the mined iron ore shall be utilized at the company-owned pig iron plant and for other domestic and export markets.
“Mining operations will be by way of mechanized opencast method without drilling & blasting, complying with all the statutory requirements using heavy earth moving machineries like rippers and dozers, shovels, dumpers, wheel loaders, and tippers,” the project proponent said, adding that the ore transportation from mine to the jetty will be carried out by tippers with the capacity of 10.5 tonnes. Most of the transportation will happen through company owned dedicated road, only 900 meters of public road will be used.
The company said that the mining operation will provide direct employment to about 521 people, which includes mine officials, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour and about 195 indirect employment opportunities to the locals. “Over and above this, a lot of employment will be generated in the form of contracts such as transportation, plantation, workshops and garages, and allied activities,” it said.
The mine area is located at the distance of around 10.553 km from the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, hence, there is very less chance of threat to the sanctuary and mangrove ecosystem. However, mine management could work with downstream riparian and mangrove forest and assist ecologically restoration as per the EMP suggested species, the EIA report stated.
There are also few archaeologically important sites located within two kms radius of the mining site.
