TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has constituted 11 members Expert Appraisal Committee to examine issues relating to both, environment clearances of iron ore mining leases and illegal handling of dumps in Goa.
The Appraisal Committee, chaired by ex-secretary MoEF, Vishwanath Anand, has been directed to submit its report within three months by making case to case recommendations to MoEF.
The committee has been directed to examine the documents submitted by the 139 project proponents, whose environment clearances have been kept in abeyance under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, since September 2012.
The Appraisal Committee has also been directed to examine the information/documents submitted by each of the 49 project proponents with respect to dump mining. Forty nine mining leases were issued show cause notices by MoEF on September 11, 2012, as to why the ECs should not be revoked and the direction for closure of the concerned mines not issued clearances under the Environment (protection) Act, 1986.
The observations relating to MoEF in the Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Goa and recommendations would also be examined.
The members of the committee include mining and hydrological expert Prof L Ajay Kumar, geological expert Prof G S Roonwal, ex-director general mines safety Dharma Rao, representative of forests survey of India, meteorologist S D Atri, additional director general wildlife- MoEF, Dr Saroj and Dr Ranjini Warrier director MoEF.
Following tabling of Justice M B Shah Commission report in the Parliament in September, last year, the State government had suspended all mining activities in the state. Thereafter MoEF suspended the environment clearances of 139 mining leases in Goa.
Currently, the matter is pending before Supreme Court, which has halted all mining operations in the state and has order investigation into illegal mining by Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Mines and Geology has asked all the mining lease holders in the state to carry out a digital global positioning survey (DGPS) of its mines by June 15, which would help the department in ascertaining the boundaries and violations.
“The cost of the survey will have to be borne by the respective mining lease holder,” Director of Mines Prasanna Acharya said.
