TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Only 27 iron ore mining leases would be considered by Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) for grant of Consent to Operate under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, in the first phase, with balance 34 been caught in legal battles.
Of the total 89 renewed mining lease, 61 leases have been allowed fresh extraction, to fit into the cap of 20 million tonnes, as recommended by the Supreme Court. However, the State pollution authority has decided to inspect and consider only 27 leases in the first phase, as the 34 leases, challenging the Board decision not to renew their lease under and Water and Air Act in 2012, are pending before the Administrative Tribunal.
These include 22 leases belonging to Sesa Sterlite, 11 leases of Timblo Pvt ltd and one belonging to HL Nathurmal.
GSPCB, in its board meeting held in September 2012, had rejected the renewal of the ‘consent to operate’ permission which was given to 107 mining companies in view of the decision taken by the Supreme Court and State government to halt the mining activities in the State. The renewals were due in June 2012.
After the consent to operate was rejected by the board, mining companies approached the Administrative Tribunal for relief. Total 36 applications were filed of which applications filed by M S Talaulikar and Sons Pvt Ltd and G N Agarwal Mining and Export of Mineral ore were rejected by the Board after tribunal consent.
Speaking to HERALD GSPCB chairman Jose Manual Noronha said that in the latest order, tribunal has directed the board to hear all 34 applications by May 18, and decide on the renewal of consent to operate. “As such, pending this, in the first phase 27 leases would be inspected for grant of consent under Water and Air Act,” he said.
The tribunal order has delayed the inspection process of the Board, which would be now undertaken somewhere in the next week. “By June end, the consents would be granted to the leases,” Noronha said.
One of the condition before the lease owner would be installation of ambient air monitoring station at their lease sites, to measure the pollutant level. There are total 18 such stations installed in the mining areas so far.
