Panaji | Sept 22, 2015: The iron ore mining lease belonging to Geetabala Parulekar (currently operated by Fomento), located on the forest land, has been granted an Environment Clearance (EC) by the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF) to undertake fresh mining activities. The EC had been kept in abeyance pending forest clearance (FC) from the chief wildlife warden.
Parulekar, along with two other mining leases – Damodar Mangalji and V G Quenim – has now applied for Consent to Operate before the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The EC limit of these three mines is fixed at 1.2 million tonnes. All the leases are part of the 88 mines which were granted second renewal under section 8(3) of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act 1957.
Parulekar, having 87.55 hectare in forest land has been allowed fresh extraction up to 0.924 million tonnes on pro rata basis by the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG).
Speaking to Herald, GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha confirmed that the Board has received three more applications for consent. “The applications will be placed before the Board members during its next meeting,” he said.
He said that the mining lease belonging to Parulekar has been granted EC by MoEF. Sources in the Forest department too confirmed that the lease was granted FC clearance by the Chief Wildlife Warden.
MoEF, while lifting the EC abeyance in case of 72 mining leases on February 20, had refused to grant ECs to 22 leases stating, ‘These leases have forest land in their lease area ore dispute of involvement of forest land and the forest clearance is not available. The leases would be considered for lifting of abeyance after forest clearance is obtained’.
GSPCB has granted Consent to Operate to 57 mining leases under the Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1974 and Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1981, with annual exaction cap of 13.79 million metric tonnes. Noronha said there are seven more mining leases, which have been granted ECs and have also been awarded second renewal under MMDR but have not applied for consent before Board till date.
(Source: http://www.goacom.com/)