Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is expected to submit the report on Sand Mining Impact and River Biodiversity Index study of River Mandovi by first week of October, which will help the State government to take a call on permitting legal sand mining from the riverbed.
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The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had not renewed or granted sand mining permits for last three seasons — 2018, 2019 and 2020, after an NGO approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking restrictions on the number of sand mining permits. DMG had issued over 300 sand mining permits for the 2017 season with a cap of 1,400 cubic metres per permit.
NIO had already submitted preliminary report of Chapora River and Mandovi. It is expected to be submitted by month end or first week of October, a senior officer told Herald.
“The study was delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, the DMG is still awaiting Environment Clearance (EC) from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for permitting sand mining activities in the Chapora riverbed and its tributaries.
