PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday asked the Directorate Mines and Geology (DMG) to decide within a week on the applications filed by four mining companies even as it allowed the petitioner to make a representation and give suggestions to the DMG.
The Court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by the Mulakh Khajan Farmers Association through its secretary Sakharam Pednekar and another regarding transportation of e-auctioned iron ore through Mayem village.
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The petitioners stated that an Office Memorandum of the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) states iron ore be not transported through the villages.
Arguing on behalf of the petitioners, Adv Norma Alvares said, “If there is no route and you have to take it then the road must be properly strengthened, widened and the cost borne by the mining companies. Government says that this memorandum applies when new leases will be issued. We are saying that the Office Memorandum applies to all transport.”
Adv Alvares pointed out that though the MoEF&CC had filed a reply stating that it applies to transportation of iron ore but if had not clarified many things.
Four companies have gone to the DMG seeking permission to transport iron ore through the villages and the court told these companies to submit a detailed list of approved routes they have, whether alternative routes are there, how many trucks will have to go, and what the timings are. After deciding routes, they will have to send it to the Goa Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to check whether there was no dust pollution.
The court has also allowed the petitioner to make a representation and give suggestions to DMG and the GSPCB and then to decide withing two weeks on representations and suggestions.
According to Adv Alvares, the Court will decide on two things, one whether the Office Memorandum is restricted only to new leases or it applies to all transportation and second that it applies to all transportation but there are no routes to take it except the villages. Then what safeguard the court must put in place so that the welfare of the people in the villages through which the ore is being taken is protected.
The matter will now come up for hearing after two weeks i.e. on May 6.
