Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Wednesday decided to drop the show-cause notices issued to 12 iron ore mining leases located in Sonshi village on technical grounds, while deferring the decision to grant them Consent to Operate.
Mining activities, including transportation at Sonshi village, have been placed under suspension since April 28. GSPCB at its meeting under the chairmanship of Environment Secretary Daulat Hawaldar, resolved to drop the show-cause notices issued to all 12 mining leases, which were caught in controversy for excess pollution in the village.
“The Board has decided to drop the show-cause notices issued to 12 mining leases in April. The notices were issued asking why the consent to operate granted to them under Air and Water Act should not be revoked for violation of conditions of the consent,” sources said.
“However, the validity of the consent expired in the month of May and hence there is no question of them having consent to operate. We have also not renewed their consent and under such circumstances, on technical ground, it was decided to drop the notices,” sources added.
The Board, meanwhile, deferred the decision to grant fresh consent to the mining leases, which is to be issued with reduction in annual ore extraction capacity proposed by the Directorate of Mines and Geology.
“The decision on granting consent to these mines is yet to be taken,” sources said. Mining in Sonshi came under GSPCB scanner following protest from the villagers about pollution backed by suo motu cognisance by the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The 12 leases belong to Sesa Resources, Chowgule & Co Pvt Ltd, Socidedade Timblo Irmaos Limitada, amongst others.
The Board has so far granted consent to operate to 10 mining leases, of the total 45 applications it had received.
