Shocker: Goa has only 260 mn tonnes of iron ore

PANJIM: Goa is left with only 260 million tonnes of iron ore in its reserve for extraction. The quantity, available as on March 2021, comprises hardly four per cent of India’s total ore reserves. 

This is worrisome for the coastal State, which has put up four mining blocks with 135 million tonnes of ore resource, for e-auction, already. 

The data on minor minerals is also not very impressive, as State’s bauxite reserve – 11.76 million tonnes, and basalt – 4.37 million tonnes,  can sustain for another 14.5 years only. The State has 1.19 million tonnes of manganese reserve and 0.22 million tonnes of laterite stone slabs. 

The data was revealed by the Government Accounting Standard Advisory Board (GASAB) in its Compendium of State Asset Accounts on Mineral and Energy Resources study released last month. 

As per the study, at the end of March 2021, the country is left with 6,835.70 million tonnes of iron ore reserves of which Goa has 263.78 million tonnes of resources. Odisha has 50 % of country’s reserve, followed by Jharkhand (24 %) and Chhattisgarh (18 %). Goa’s reserve comprising 4 per cent is just above Karnataka (3 %) and MP (1 %). 

In a bid to kick start the mining industry, which is shut since March 2018 following Supreme Court directions; the State has invited bids for four mining blocks.

These include three in Bicholim and one in Sanguem, having approximately 135 million tonnes of iron ore resource, for e-auction. 

The Mulgao mine at Bicholim has approximately 84.923 million tonnes of ore,  Sirigao mine (23.58 million tonnes of ore), Monte-de-Sirigao mine (9.15 million tonnes of ore) and Sanguem’s Kalay mine (16.731 million tones of mineral) which is put up for e-auction. 

Until 2007, Goa used to export around 40-42 million tonnes of low grade ore annually to China, Japan, Europe and the Middle East. However, with boom in Chinese steel market, the State exported around 50-54 million tonnes of ore, annually between 2007 and 2011. 

In 2012, following Justice M B Shah Commission exposing the illegalities in the sector, the then Manohar Parrikar-led government suspended mining activities in September. The activities, though at a very slow pace, resumed in 2015, after Supreme Court lifted the ban in April 2014.