Panaji | May 31, 2016: Goa Environment Minister Rajendra Arlekar today said the state government will not allow dumping of rejected iron ore in the forests or protected areas.

"We will not allow the rejected iron ore to be dumped in the forest or protected areas any more," Arlekar told reporters here today.

The minister's statement comes in the wake of recent amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, that allows iron ores to be dumped outside the lease area.

Arlekar said that though new dumps would not be allowed in the forest and protected areas, the state government is studying the amended MMDR Act to handle the issue of existing dumps in those areas.

"We will have to study the provisions in the latest amendment to decide on the handling of existing dumps in forest and protected areas," he said refusing to comment on the issue further.

Goa's mining industry which was banned for more than two years since 2012, had begun operations last year.

The government records indicate that there are total 139 mining dumps located on the forest land, of which 95 are in South Goa, while 44 in North. Total 750 million tonnes of ore is lying in these dumps.

(Source: http://www.business-standard.com/)