Panaji | May 31, 2017: The Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB), which is monitoring the ambient air quality in the mining belt, has sought time from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) to submit comments over increasing the iron ore output cap in Goa.

The ministry had sought comments from various state and central government departments over increasing the capping in the state. At present the Supreme Court has placed a cap of 20 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) on iron ore extraction.

The board has informed the environment ministry that, as per their data, the ambient air quality in some mining areas exceeds permissible limits and that the exercise of monitoring and verifying the data is under way.

"In order to compile and interpret the air ambient quality data and to submit comments thereof on the above subject matter, the board will require some time," GSPCB member secretary Levinson Martins said.

The board, in its letter to the ministry, said that it has identified several additional locations along mining transportation routes in the state to monitor ambient air quality levels.

Around 10 central and state government departments had been asked for their views on the report prepared by the six-member expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court, which had recommended an extraction limit of 37 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of iron ore in the state.

The panel, in its report, had suggested that the earlier assessed extraction rate of 20 MTPA be enhanced to 30 MTPA. It had further stated that the limit could be further increased to 37 MTPA "as predicted by our sustainability model", subject to the state's review of the macro environment impact assessment (EIA) of the enhanced extraction rate.

The board has informed the environment ministry that, as per their data, the ambient air quality in some mining areas exceeds permissible limits and that the exercise of monitoring and verifying the data is under way

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)