PANJIM | Jan 22, 2016: Four more iron ore mining lease holders have applied for Consent to Operate under the Air and Water Pollution Acts before the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). A decision on the applications will be taken at the 119th Board meeting scheduled on January 28.

The leases belonging to Gettabala Parulekar in Pissurlem, V G Quenim in Sonshi, N S Narvekar in Sanguem and Ramakant Velingkar at Dharbandora have applied for consent to operate under Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1974 and Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1981. The EC limit of these four mines is fixed at two million metric tonnes.

All the leases are part of the 88 mines that were granted second renewal under Section 8(3) of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act 1957. The leases have been granted Environment Clearances (EC) by the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF).

GSPCB has already granted Consent to Operate to 57 mining leases, with an annual exaction cap of 13.79 million metric tonnes.

Speaking to media persons, GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said, “The decision will be taken during the forthcoming Board meeting on January 28.”

The Chairman said the Board has already allowed 13.7 million metric tonnes of fresh ore extraction and it has a limit up to 20 million metric tons. “Around six million metric tonnes of fresh extraction can still be allowed,” he informed.

“Mining companies that have already resumed operations, like Sesa Goa, have intimated GSPCB about their fresh operation,” he added.

(Source: http://www.heraldgoa.in/)