TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Adding to the pressure on the state government to get its act together on the mining front, the National Green Tribunal has directed the state government through its collectors to make an inventory of the iron ore stock in and around 28 mines within four weeks of its order dated May 29.
The issue of mining dumps and transportation of ore through the state have been a bone of contention between the Centre and state governments even before the Supreme Court stepped in and suspended mining activities, including the export and transportation of ore. It then directed the centrally empowered committee to look into various issues highlighted by the Justice M B Shah Commission of Inquiry constituted to look into illegal mining in the state. The commission had put the loss to the state exchequer ~ caused by illegal mining~ at Rs 35,000 crore .
Stating that it was of the opinion that it was essential to “ascertain the present stock of ore available around the area of the mine, the tribunal has directed “the concerned collector to conduct inventory panchanamas in the presence of two panchas, who be officers of government departments, and if expert assistance is provided by the applicant at his own cost then in the presence of such expert.”
The collectors have been told to inform the applicant as well as to the owner of the mine regarding this assessment. The companies include Dempo (which has sold its stakes to Vedanta ) Chowgule, Sesa, V M Salgaocar, Sociedade Timblo Irmaos, Damodar Mangalji among others.
The applicant, Goa Paryavaran Savrakshan Snagharsh Samitee had submitted that the ore extracted from the mine “is likely to be removed and during the rainy season there will be the excuse that the stack of ore has disappeared or washed away.”
Notwithstanding the miner’s counsel stating that an application has already been filed before the Supreme Court to allow removal of ore, the tribunal asked for status quo to be maintained and wanted the secretaries of the state, environment and forest departments and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to depute “responsible officers to give instructions to their counsel within a period of three weeks. “A reply is to be filed within a period of five weeks and the concerned collector has been directed to conduct the spot inspection, inventory panchanamas within a period of four weeks.”
The case has been adjourned by the bench of the tribunal~ that included Justice V R Kingaonkar, judicial member, Dr P C Mishra, expert member, Ranjan Chatterjee, expert member and B S Sajwan, expert member~ to July 25.
