TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: With the Supreme Court imposing severe restrictions on fresh mining activities in Goa, the State government is now contemplating the total scrapping of its ambitious mining corridors project, proposed along the mining rich areas. The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has decided to conduct a feasibility study of the plan, post mining resumption, before scrapping it.
This is after scraping the Rs 86 crore contract of the first phase of the mining corridor and saying that it would be re-tendered last year.
“Government is planning to scrap the project. However, the final decision would be taken only after proper feasibility once mining resumes,” a senior GSIDC official said.
The corporation, which is of the opinion that corridors might not be essential as there would be restriction on mining activities, including traffic movement after resumption, has decided to undertake a feasibility study to ascertain the need of mining corridors.
“The decision to have mining corridors was taken due to heavy truck movement laden with ore that were leading to traffic congestion. But now mining will re-start with restrictions on production, export and transport,” official said.
Government in 2012 had published sections IV, VI and VII of the Land Acquisition Act for two phases – Uguem to Guddem and Uguem to Capxem. The mining corridor also had a proposed phase three, which was planned in order to connect the mines of Cavrem, Maina, Rivona, to the main mining corridor.
Meanwhile, the government is also working on a mining transport policy, wherein it proposed to introduce cluster area development concept to streamline transportation in the mining areas. The policy might also have cluster wise capping on transport.
The Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in its report has proposed a cap of 25 MTPA (million tons per annum) for the state based on the dependency of the existing infrastructure. As per the report, placed before the Apex Court the overall road capacity of mining in North Goa is 13.68 MTPA and for South is 11.31 MTPA.
